Probe the system to improve opioid use disorder treatment
A recent Open Minds piece entitled “Untangling the Access Issues for Addiction Treatment” points to four reasons as to why addiction services are rarely or never accessible.
… Most people wouldn’t argue the role these factors play in contributing to access challenges for OUD treatment. However, some people might argue that we need to probe further to untangle what access really looks like in the larger health care delivery system.
Practical steps to clinical excellence
What makes a great therapist? What are the characteristics of therapists who stand head and shoulders above their peers in delivering effective outcomes for individuals involved in therapy?
Researchers have focused on the following factors:
The Kennedy Forum Illinois: Mental health justice
The individual voice of mental illness took a stand at the fourth annual Kennedy Forum Illinois, held in Chicago on January 16 and 17, as high-profile speakers shared deeply personal stories related to their mental health struggles.
A leading forum participant, Beacon Health Options (Beacon) joined these speakers in their quest to eradicate stigma.
Serious mental illness and cancer: Treatment outside the box
“On average, Americans with major mental illness die 14 to 32 years earlier than the general population.”
Every time I hear it, I’m alarmed. Contrary to popular belief, most people with serious mental illness do not die from suicide or violence. They die from the same conditions as those without serious mental illness – cancer, heart disease, diabetes.
Stronger support for Americans who risk their lives for ours: Changes for veterans
Happy New Year, Veterans (and all of us who benefit from your selfless service on behalf of our country)!
Despite a year of political upheaval and angst in Washington, veterans can be pleased with the new administration’s Veterans Affairs (VA) policy direction that has earned significant bipartisan support.
Half the battle: My story of bipolar disorder in an already sober world
April 2011. It’s late afternoon, and my second day of the Partial Program at Beverly Hospital has wrapped up.
I’m plowing down Route 128 with a song on the radio that I don’t remember. Everything has changed, but I’m not totally sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
Measurement-based care leads to improved outcomes, resource efficiency
There’s a lot of discussion in health care circles about evidence-based care, measurement-based care, best-practice care, holistic care.
The terms don’t stop there, and neither does their singular importance. Each term has its own significance in this larger puzzle of health care terminology.
Payer consensus: A new era for substance use disorder treatment
The prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD), highlighted by the opioid crisis, is not new news.
Approximately, 21 million Americans have an SUD. In 2015 alone, opioids killed more than 33,000 people in the United States, more than any previous year on record, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Teach your children well
The youngest of three, Casey did her own thing, her own way. Popular, athletic and prom-queen pretty, she is quick-witted and outgoing, with a sarcastic sense of humor.
When it was time to go to college, we weren’t concerned about her becoming a “girls-gone-wild” casualty because of her focus on academics and general self-assurance.
Catching up to an opioid crisis: Innovation, access
Paul Gileno, founder and president of the U.S. Pain Foundation, recently addressed in an opinion piece the common ascribed-to culprits of the opioid crisis: overprescribing physicians, Big Pharma and even demanding patients.
However, he adds to his list of culprits one not usually seen: the health insurance industry, essentially arguing that insurance does not cover many non-pharmaceutical options for pain relief, such as physical therapy, massage, biofeedback and more.