Greater Attention Paid to the Patient's Experience Could Improve the Treatment of Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder Hospitalized for Serious Infections.

Abstract

: There is a growing recognition for the need to improve the treatment of individuals with opioid use disorder who are hospitalized for serious infections such as infective endocarditis. Unfortunately, patients face enormous hurdles not only in coping with the life-threatening medical illness, but also in maintaining their recovery and engagement with treatment due in part to the difficulties navigating the fragmented addiction treatment system. The journey mapping research presented by Bearnot and Mitton is a novel approach that has the potential to improve our understanding of the challenges faced by patients. Given the severe health consequences that can result from these infections, more research is clearly needed to improve the treatment we currently provide. The journey mapping approach appears to be a useful method of incorporating the patient voice in order to improve our understanding of their experience, but also help identify how we can provide treatments that are acceptable and preferred by patients.