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Breaking Down Barriers to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Through Digital Innovation
While the rise of the sober curious movement and the growing availability of non-alcoholic options signal a shift away from drinking, alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains prevalent. At the same time, substance use disorder (SUD) affects over 46 million people aged 12 and older, according to the 2021...
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Smart and Ethical Recovery: AI in Addiction Treatment
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can potentially revolutionize Addiction Treatment. This complimentary technology can aid clinicians and organizations by personalizing interventions and treatments, generating predictive analytics, aiding clinicians in optimizing workflows, and even reaching patients...
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How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Combat Addiction
Substance use disorder is a worldwide problem. A report by the Addiction Center shows that in the United States, more than 21 million people have a substance use disorder. Another report by the National Drug Control Budget highlights that the government spends more than $44.5 billion dollars...
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The Importance of Real-Time Data in Tailored Patient Treatment and Integrating Traditional Wellness Practices in Modern Substance Abuse Therapy
In the ever-evolving field of mental health and substance abuse therapy, utilizing real-time data to tailor patient treatment is becoming increasingly crucial. Real-time data allows healthcare providers to monitor and adjust treatment plans promptly based on the latest information, leading to more...
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Federal Study Examines Care Following Nonfatal Overdose Among Medicare Beneficiaries; Identifies Effective Interventions and Gaps in Care
Researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among...
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Higher Buprenorphine Doses Associated With Improved Retention in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Individuals with opioid use disorder who were prescribed a lower buprenorphine dose were 20% more likely to discontinue treatment than those on a higher dose, according to a study of patients prescribed buprenorphine in Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020, as fentanyl became widely available. The...
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Reported Drug Use Among Adolescents Continued to Hold Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2023
The percentage of adolescents reporting they used any illicit substances in 2023 continued to hold steady below the pre-pandemic levels reported in 2020, with 10.9% of eighth graders, 19.8% of 10th graders, and 31.2% of 12th graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past year, according...
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Men Died of Overdose at 2-3 Times Greater a Rate Than Women in the U.S. In 2020-2021
Men were significantly more vulnerable than women to overdose deaths involving opioid and stimulant drugs in 2020-2021, according to a new study analyzing death records data from across the United States. The study found that men had a 2–3 times greater rate of overdose mortality from opioids...
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Only 1 in 4 Adolescent Treatment Facilities Offer Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
Only 1 in 4 residential addiction treatment facilities caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old offer buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, according to a new study. Only 1 in 8 offer buprenorphine for ongoing treatment. These findings highlight a significant gap in...
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Still Reaching: The Syndemics that Complicate and Characterize How Drugs and HIV Intersect in People’s Lives
Nearly 42 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a rare pneumonia in five gay men, marking the recognized start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While we often hear about those men’s sexuality, we hear less often about their substamce use. As the 1981 report notes,...