IMPACT OF CONSULT FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT AND CARE IN HOSPITALS(CATCH) TEAM ON SUCCESSFUL MEDICATION FOR ADDICTION TREAMENT (MAT) FOR HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER.

Background: The South Bronx has the highest overdose death rate in New York City, exceeding the city’s overall rate, with fentanyl implicated in approximately 80% of cases. In 2018, the New York City Health and Hospitals (NYCHH) started a new initiative called Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals (CATCH) to create health promotion intervention plans and deliver Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT). To assess the impact of CATCH team on successful MAT for hospitalized patients with Opioid Use Disorder, we present the initial results of this Pilot Study.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at NYCHH/Lincoln Hospital in South Bronx, NYC. It included adult hospitalizations for OUD between June and August 2023 and excluded all patients who died during hospitalization. We evaluated patients who consented to CATCH and agreed to participate in MAT. Additionally, the study compared the mean number of Emergency Department (ED) and inpatient visits from OUD or all other causes among patients who completed MAT and those who did not complete MAT and assessed the statistical significance of the data using a T-test.

Results: We analyzed 148 patients who were admitted to the medicine department between June and August with an active diagnosis of opioid use disorder. Out of the total patients, 70 (47%) agreed to a CATCH consult, and 38(25%) consented to MAT. Among those who started MAT, 16(42%) completed it, while 22(57%) did not. Of the 38 patients who agreed to MAT, 34(89%) followed the Suboxone pathway, and 4(10%) opted for the Belbuca pathway. A T-test was performed to assess the impact of MAT on the mean number of ED and inpatient visits. Of those who completed MAT, the mean number of ED visits from OUD at 6 months was 0.1 vs 1.5 among those who did not complete MAT, with a significant difference (P=0.02). Even though the mean of inpatient visits from OUD among patients who completed MAT (mean=0.12) was less than that of those who did not complete MAT (mean=0.5), there was no statistically significant difference. Furthermore, the mean ED visits for all causes at 6 months for patients who completed MAT was 2.73 vs. 2.54 among those who did not complete MAT. However, there was no statistically significant difference (P=0.42). Similarly, no significant difference (P=0.139) existed between the mean inpatient visits for all causes at 6 months of patients who completed MAT (mean = 1.10) and those who did not complete MAT (mean=1.34). Regarding follow-up, 2(12.5%) patients followed up outpatient within 2 weeks of discharge, while 5 (31%) followed up within 6 months.

Conclusions: The implementation of MAT significantly reduced ED and inpatient visits of patients with OUD. Although observed follow-up rates are low, they show improvement compared to similar research (McNeely et al., 2024). Follow-up rates can be enhanced by assigning more resources to the CATCH team and involving Community Health Workers and Counselors to improve the overall health of the community.