SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Role of Addiction Medicine Consultation Service in a Community Hospital: Evaluation of the Novel Service

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This retrospective chart review evaluated a newly established Addiction Medicine Hospitalist consultation service at two community hospitals in Pennsylvania (Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Taylor Hospital) during its first 120 days, including 152 adult patients. The study aimed to assess early service utilization and effects on patient care and hospital quality metrics such as length of stay (LOS), against-medical-advice (AMA) discharge, readmissions, medication initiation, and outpatient linkage.<br /><br />The service addressed a growing treatment gap in substance use disorders (SUD), noting that hospitalizations related to SUD have risen sharply and that addiction specialists remain scarce. Prior literature suggests addiction consultations can improve initiation of treatment, shorten LOS, reduce AMA discharges, and lower readmissions.<br /><br />In this early review, the service showed favorable outcomes. About 42.9% of patients were established in a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) clinic, 38% received recommendations for appropriate disposition, and 14.7% experienced LOS reduction. The overall readmission rate was 6.1%, lower than the hospital system’s 13% benchmark, and the readmission rate among AMA discharges was 9.1%, also below the system rate. No morbidity or mortality related to the medications used in treatment was reported.<br /><br />The authors concluded that addiction medicine consultation services can significantly improve outcomes in community hospital settings and provide support across multiple specialties, not just for opioid use disorder. They also emphasized that medication-assisted therapy was associated with substantially lower AMA discharge rates compared with supportive care alone. The project additionally had educational impact, including resident rotations, lectures, and presentations, helping define addiction medicine as an emerging subspecialty within hospital medicine.

Asset Subtitle

Srikrishna Varun Malayala

Meta Tag

Author List Akshay Thaper, Archie Madan, Kushaghar Singla, Rukshar Thapa, Srikrishna Varun Malayala, Wesley Perez Cervantes

Category Innovations

Concept Addiction Medicine Hospitalist Consultation Service

Concept Substance Use Disorder

Concept Community Hospital

Concept Length of Stay

Concept Readmission Rate

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Crozer Chester Medical Center

Presenting Author Srikrishna Varun Malayala

Track Consultative Medicine

Keywords

addiction medicine

hospitalist consultation

substance use disorder

community hospitals

medication for opioid use disorder

length of stay

against medical advice

readmission rate

outpatient linkage

hospital quality metrics

Addiction Medicine Hospitalist Consultation Service

Substance Use Disorder

Community Hospital

Length of Stay

Readmission Rate