Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Emergency medicine clinicians are uniquely positioned to deliver interventions to enhance linkage to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the acute overdose period, yet little is known about patient perspectives to effectively engage patients immediately following opioid overdose. Our objective was to explore patients' perspectives on substance use treatment, perceived needs, and contextual factors that shape the choice of patients seen in the emergency department (ED) to engage with treatment and other patient support services in the acute post-opioid overdose period. ⋯ Patients receiving ED care following overdose in our ED are willing to discuss their opioid use and its treatment in the ED and report a variety of unmet needs. This work supports a role for ED-based research evaluating a patient-oriented approach to engage patients after opioid overdose.