Objective:

To clarify the association between medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) and opioid use disorder (MOUD) and healthcare utilization.

Approach:

• Study Design: A nationally representative cross-sectional study using data from the 2022–2023 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
• Sample Size: The study included a weighted sample of 57.5 million adults with past-year AUD and 2.9 million with past-year OUD.
• Medication Use: Reported medication treatment was 2% for AUD and 30% for OUD.
• Healthcare Utilization Analysis: Examined outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations among those receiving MAUD or MOUD.

Key Findings:

• Patients receiving MAUD had greater healthcare utilization compared to those receiving no medications.
• For AUD, past-year MAUD use was associated with increased emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
• No consistent association was found for MOUD and healthcare utilization.
• Demographic differences indicated that those receiving medications were older and had greater socioeconomic disadvantages.

Limitations:

• The cross-sectional design limits the ability to determine causality.
• Healthcare utilization data were self-reported, which may introduce recall bias.
• The study cannot distinguish between preventable and necessary healthcare utilization.

Conclusion:

Further research is needed to explore the relationship between medication types, healthcare utilization, and treatment retention.

Sources:

• Journal of General Internal Medicine