Specialty Networks Play a Key Role in Fighting Opioid Misuse
For all the progress our nation has made in reducing opioid prescriptions, misuse of these powerful analgesics remains an intractable problem. And while much work remains, the health care system has grown more adept at deploying the right resources at the right time to give patients the best chance at recovery.
These hard-won lessons, borne from wearisome experience, are particularly relevant in the treatment of injured workers, who often face the dual challenge of requiring assistance with an opioid use disorder while trying to endure the strains that can arise from being away from work, not to mention recovering from any physical injury endured.
What’s become clear from years of combatting opioid use disorders is that, for most patients, recovery is difficult and often protracted. Just as important, we’ve learned that the greatest chance for success arises when the most accomplished health care professionals are empowered to deliver care that is well-coordinated, that incorporates multiple treatment methods, and that adopts a biopsychosocial perspective. By working together, health care professionals and their network partners are best suited to help injured workers recover from opioid use disorder and get back on the job.