Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Providers’ Stigmas And The Effects On Patients With Opioid Use Disorder: A Scoping Review, Peyton Skaggs, Sarah Beth Bell, F. Douglas Scutchfield Md, Lauren E. Robinson

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: One of the most prevalent, dangerous stigmas in health care is the complex bias toward patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). This stigma damages the vital patient–provider relationship, further perpetuating the opioid epidemic.

Purpose: Unfortunately, research on the relationship between OUD and provider stigma is greatly lacking. To fill this gap, the present in-depth study undertakes a scoping review of research on providers’ stigma toward OUD in order to determine how enacted stigma affects treatment plans.

Methods: Four databases were used to identify articles published from 1999 to 2021. A comprehensive search strategy was developed through a collaborative process …

Community Strengths And Challenges Related To Opioid Use Disorder In Rural Counties Of East Tennessee, Ashlyn N. Schwartz, Zeruiah V. Buchanan, Laurie L. Meschke

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Appalachia, particularly Rural East Tennessee, has been and continues to be disproportionately impacted by opioid use disorder and its many tragic ramifications.

Purpose: Community-engaged strategies can inform and support the development of relevant prevention efforts. Hence, people connected to a ten-county rural Appalachian region in East Tennessee were asked to identify and prioritize strengths and challenges related to opioid use disorder (OUD).

Methods: Adult community members (n=577) completed a brief survey administered across 11 days in 2019.

Results: Of the respondents, 85.3% never had been addicted to opioids, but 74.0% had someone close to them with OUD. The most …

Factors That Influence Enrollment In Syringe Services Programs In Rural Areas: A Qualitative Study Among Program Clients In Appalachian Kentucky, Umedjon Ibragimov, Katherine E. Cooper, Evan Batty, April M. Ballard, Monica Fadanelli, Skylar B. Gross, Emma M. Klein, Scott Lockard, April M. Young, Hannah L. F. Cooper

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Enrolling sufficient number of people who inject drugs (PWID) into syringe services programs (SSP) is important to curtail outbreaks of drug-related harms. Still, little is known about barriers and facilitators to SSP enrollment in rural areas with no history of such programs. This study's purpose was to develop a grounded theory of the role of the risk environment and individual characteristics of PWID in shaping SSP enrollment in rural Kentucky.

METHODS: We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 41 clients of 5 SSPs that were established in rural counties in Appalachian Kentucky in 2017-2018. Interviews covered PWID needs, the process …

Perceived Ability To Treat Opioid Use Disorder In West Virginia, A. Brianna Sheppard, Jonathan C. Young, Steve M. Davis, Garrett E. Moran

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based therapy for opioid use disorder (OUD) that has not been fully implemented in rural areas due to patient, provider, and logistical barriers. Limited information is available on provider perceptions of barriers to MAT in rural Central Appalachia which has very high rates of OUD compared to the rest the United States.

Purpose: Determine perceived barriers for potential prescribers to using MAT, including buprenorphine, as part of treatment for OUD in West Virginia.

Methods: A 30-question, anonymous survey was sent to physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses using an online link. Link …