2024
Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US Veterans Health Administration.
Sung M, León C, Reisman J, Gordon K, Kerns R, Li W, Liu W, Mitra A, Yu H, Becker W. Disparities in Receipt of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US Veterans Health Administration. Substance Use & Addiction Journal 2024, 29767342241293334. PMID: 39569566, DOI: 10.1177/29767342241293334.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMOUD receiptElixhauser Comorbidity IndexOpioid use disorderSocial determinants of healthVeterans Health Administration electronic health record dataElectronic health record dataUS Veterans Health AdministrationDeterminants of healthVeterans Health AdministrationHealth record dataProportion of veteransReceipt of medicationsSubstance useComorbidity indexTargeted outreach effortsUse disorderCOVID-19 pandemicProportion of patientsSocial determinantsReceipt of MOUDHealth AdministrationRecord dataEffect sizeMOUD engagementCalculated proportions
2023
The Association of Prescribed Opioids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease
Sung M, Eden S, Becker W, Crystal S, Duncan M, Gordon K, Kerns R, Kundu S, Freiberg M, So-Armah K, Edelman E. The Association of Prescribed Opioids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease. Journal Of Pain 2023, 25: 104436. PMID: 38029949, PMCID: PMC11058015, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.11.019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchIncident cardiovascular diseaseModifiable CVD risk factorsCVD risk factorsHuman immunodeficiency virusCardiovascular diseasePrescribed opioidsOpioid receiptRisk factorsUse disordersCox proportional hazards regression modelVeterans Aging Cohort StudyVeterans Health Administration (VHA) carePropensity scoreProportional hazards regression modelsCVD incidence ratesPrescription opioid exposureIncident CVD eventsPrevalence of hypertensionAging Cohort StudyHigher opioid dosesOpioid use disorderHazards regression modelsNational prospective cohortVeterans Administration dataCocaine use disorder
2014
Buprenorphine/Naloxone Dose and Pain Intensity Among Individuals Initiating Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Becker WC, Ganoczy D, Fiellin DA, Bohnert AS. Buprenorphine/Naloxone Dose and Pain Intensity Among Individuals Initiating Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. Journal Of Substance Use And Addiction Treatment 2014, 48: 128-131. PMID: 25312475, DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2014.09.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderNumerical rating scoreBUP/NXPain intensityUse disordersPrimary outcomeBuprenorphine/naloxone doseDecreased pain intensityFull agonist opioidsImproved pain intensityBuprenorphine/naloxoneSubset of patientsSubstance use comorbiditiesChronic pain diagnosesPartial agonist propertiesEligible patientsNX treatmentAgonist opioidsPain levelsNaloxone doseComorbid painMultivariable analysisMaintenance treatmentMean ageClinical correlates