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Evaluating Emergency Department Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

December 29, 2020

Services: Program evaluation, stakeholder engagement, reporting, storytelling

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan recognized the urgent need to improve treatment for opioid use disorder in emergency departments in 2020. So they sought the expertise of PSC to better understand and address this critical issue. We first evaluated the Michigan Opioid Partnership’s ED MOUD initiative, uncovering how six Michigan emergency departments were implementing treatment and connecting patients to community care. Four years later, we dug deeper into pervasive barriers to success. We surveyed hospital staff, facilitated small group discussions, and identified practical, high-impact solutions. From a formal report and statewide presentations to visual summaries that drive advocacy, our work is helping advance equitable, evidence-based care for people with opioid use disorder across Michigan. PSC continues to work with the Community Foundation to evaluate monthly and annual reporting documents that hospitals submitted during the ED MOUD grant program.