New data shows number of hospital patients with drug use disorder is up in Virginia

New data shows number of hospital patients with drug use disorder is up in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — New data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association shows an increase in the number of patients that have drug use disorder across the state.  According to VHHA, there has been an 11% increase of discharged patients diagnosed with drug use disorder in Virginia hospitals from 2020 to 2024.  "It's part of continuing trend of data analyzes that our team shares with the public about public health issues, topics of c…

Now hit hard by opioid crisis, Black patients run up against barriers to care

Once called "Hillbilly heroin" because its users were mostly rural Whites, opioids have now hit the Black community hard as fentanyl is laced into all manner of street drugs. But Black patients are finding less help.

AI Screening Tool Effective in Identifying Opioid Use Disorder and Referring Patients to Treatment

A recent study published in Nature Medicine demonstrated that an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven screening tool was just as effective as a healthcare provider-only approach in identifying hospitalized adults at risk for opioid use disorder (OUD). The research found that the AI screening significantly reduced hospital readmissions and assisted in the referral of patients to inpatient addiction specialists. Supported by the National Institutes…