Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Nursing
Faculty Mentor
Patricia Thompson Leavitt DNP, FNP
Abstract
Only one in five who need treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the U.S. receive it despite effective treatments (1). A root cause analysis was undertaken for this quality improvement (QI) project to determine causes for undertreatment of OUD. Healthcare professional stigma emerged as a recurrent theme affecting availability of services and help-seeking behaviors among those with OUD. Two stigmareduction workshops were held, one year apart, at two rural Maine hospitals. A validated questionnaire was used pre- and 6-12 weeks post-intervention which showed a statistically significant decrease in total stigma, attitude, and social distance scores, with a non-significant decrease in help-seeking / disclosure scores.
Open Access?
1
Reducing Healthcare Professionals’ Stigma Toward Persons with Opioid Use Disorder
Only one in five who need treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the U.S. receive it despite effective treatments (1). A root cause analysis was undertaken for this quality improvement (QI) project to determine causes for undertreatment of OUD. Healthcare professional stigma emerged as a recurrent theme affecting availability of services and help-seeking behaviors among those with OUD. Two stigmareduction workshops were held, one year apart, at two rural Maine hospitals. A validated questionnaire was used pre- and 6-12 weeks post-intervention which showed a statistically significant decrease in total stigma, attitude, and social distance scores, with a non-significant decrease in help-seeking / disclosure scores.
