How emergency departments are responding to the opioid crisis: Results from a statewide survey in Kentucky

Objective: There is a rising effort for hospital emergency departments (EDs) to offer and expand substance use disorder (SUD) services. This state-wide evaluation studies SUD services offered along the continuum of implementation across Kentucky’s EDs to inform future state efforts to build ED bridge programs. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study using an online survey of all Kentucky Emergency Department Directors between January and May of 2023. We created a hospital-level dataset which we used to summarize quantitative questions and thematically analyze open-ended responses. Results: Our sample included 85 unique respondents (89% of all eligible Kentucky hospitals). Nine (11%) had active bridge programs to initiate opioid use disorder patients on buprenorphine. Respondents reported that the most challenging SUD-related services for EDs to implement were buprenorphine induction for opioid use disorder treatment (n = 36, 42%), referrals to community-based providers (n = 34, 40%), and providing social work services (n = 25, 29%). Respondents noted that the implementation and improvement of screening protocols were needed to better identify patients with SUD, expressed concerns about care continuity, and explicitly conveyed the need and desire for additional supports to provide SUD care. Conclusions: The landscape of Kentucky’s ED SUD supports shows several hospitals that offer services along the continuum of SUD care, and highlights the importance of technical assistance and financial resources to ensure the continuum is broadly available. Kentucky’s experience speaks to broader national challenges in supporting SUD in EDs – specifically the need for financial resources, buy-in and education, and creating referral relationships to ensure care continuity.