Adding nurse care managers in primary care improves OUD treatment

Adding a nurse care manager to primary care to support opioid use disorder treatment increases potentially lifesaving medication treatment for OUD, a study showed. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the cluster randomized trial conducted across six heath systems showed clinics with a nurse care manager provided 8.2 more patient years of OUD treatment per 10,000 primary care patients. Patients were more likely to access lifesaving treatment when system leaders committed to treat OUD in the primary care setting, when full financial coverage for OUD treatment was offered and when patients could readily access the nurse care manager. (JAMA Internal Medicine study, 10/30/23)