• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Addiction Treatment Forum

Addiction Treatment Forum

Addiction Treatment Forum reports on substance use news of interest to opioid treatment programs and patients in medication-assisted treatment.

  • Newsletter
  • Addiction Resources
  • Methadone
  • Buprenorphine
  • Patient Brochures
  • Events

Vermont Hub-and-Spoke Evaluation: No Opioid Overdoses, and a Sharp Drop—96%—in Opioid Use

February 11, 2018 by Alison Knopf

The hubs—OTPs—treat patients who have been assessed as needing the OTP level of care. These patients are given methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone. Patients in the spokes—physicians’ offices—are given buprenorphine or naltrexone.

The study findings are in a 185-page report completed by Richard A. Rawson, PhD, a research professor with the Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont. Funding came from three sources: a $199,200 grant from the Vermont Department of Health; $150,000 from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and $49,200 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Vermont’s hub and spoke system is called the Care Alliance for Opioid Addiction.

The 96% decrease represented a drop in average days of opioid use, from 86 to only 3. The study included 100 opioid users; 80 in treatment and 20 out of treatment.

“This report gives me hope,” said Mark Levine, MD, Vermont’s health commissioner. “All across the country, our friends, neighbors, and communities are struggling against the toll brought about by addictive, and all-too-plentiful, illicit drugs. By reviewing the data, and listening to the people who are working hard to recover, we see that our Hub-and-Spoke system is beginning to bend the curve against the opioid epidemic.”

Key findings among Hub-and-Spoke system study participants:

  • 96% decrease in opioid use
  • 92% drop in injection drug use
  • Statistically significant reductions in use of alcohol and illicit drugs (except cannabis/marijuana [relatively unchanged]); in contrast, people not in treatment reported no significant changes in any measure
  • 89% decrease in emergency department visits
  • 90% reduction in illegal activities and police stops/arrests

No treatment participants had overdosed in the 90 days before the study interview. In contrast, 25% had overdosed in the 90 days before entering treatment. Other findings: family conflict had lessened, and feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger had decreased. Patients reported being much more satisfied with their lives.

For the hub-and-spoke report, go to: http://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ADAP_Hub_and_Spoke_Evaluation_2017_1.pdf.

Also see:

  • http://atforum.com/2016/10/vermonts-hub-spoke-system-model-otps/
  • http://atforum.com/2012/03/vermont-to-expand-medication-assisted-treatment-for-opioid-addiction-using-a-managed-care-approach/

Filed Under: 2018, 29-1, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), Newsletter

Primary Sidebar

Upcoming Events

CADCA 2023 Leadership Forum and SAMHSA’s Prevention Day
January 30-February 3, 2023

Washington, D.C.
http://cadca.org/forum2023

2023 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit
April 10-13, 2023

Atlanta, Georgia
https://www.rx-summit.com/

2023 ASAM conference
April 13-16, 2023

Washington, D.C.
https://annualconference.asam.org/

 

View More Upcoming Events…

ATForum.com

  • Newsletter
  • Addiction Resources
  • Rx Methadone & Safety
  • Patient Education Brochures
  • Events
  • Related Websites

Addiction Resources

  • Addiction and Recovery
  • Addiction Treatment Forum
  • Books and Booklets of Interest
  • Drug Screening and Testing
  • Evidence-Based Addiction Medicine
  • Federal Government
  • Health Care Reform
  • Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment
  • Mental Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Online Continuing Education Free Training Modules

Footer

Addiction Treatment Forum is produced by an independent medical communications agency. Commercial advertising is not accepted.
Published by Clinco Communications, Inc.
About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Follow Us

Sign up for News!

© 2023 Addiction Treatment Forum · All Rights Reserved