Featured Publications
Racial disparities in discontinuation of long-term opioid therapy following illicit drug use among black and white patients
Gaither JR, Gordon K, Crystal S, Edelman EJ, Kerns RD, Justice AC, Fiellin DA, Becker WC. Racial disparities in discontinuation of long-term opioid therapy following illicit drug use among black and white patients. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2018, 192: 371-376. PMID: 30122319, PMCID: PMC7106601, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.05.033.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLong-term opioid therapyIllicit drug useUrine drug testsDrug useOpioid therapyWhite racePositive urine drug testDrug testsMonths of treatmentElectronic medical recordsWhite patientsChronic painPatient raceMedical recordsPatientsLogistic regressionOpioidsRacial disparitiesDrug testingCocaineCannabisTherapyCliniciansDiscontinuationPainThe effect of substance use disorders on the association between guideline-concordant long-term opioid therapy and all-cause mortality
Gaither J, Goulet J, Becker W, Crystal S, Edelman E, Gordon K, Kerns R, Rimland D, Skanderson M, Justice A, Fiellin D. The effect of substance use disorders on the association between guideline-concordant long-term opioid therapy and all-cause mortality. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2017, 171: e68. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.08.196.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2019
Patterns and Correlates of Prescription Opioid Receipt Among US Veterans: A National, 18-Year Observational Cohort Study
Rentsch CT, Edelman EJ, Justice AC, Marshall BDL, Xu K, Smith AH, Crystal S, Gaither JR, Gordon AJ, Smith RV, Kember RL, Polimanti R, Gelernter J, Fiellin DA, Tate JP, Kranzler HR, Becker WC. Patterns and Correlates of Prescription Opioid Receipt Among US Veterans: A National, 18-Year Observational Cohort Study. AIDS And Behavior 2019, 23: 3340-3349. PMID: 31317364, PMCID: PMC7344341, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-019-02608-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderOpioid receiptCohort studyLong-term opioid therapyVeterans Aging Cohort StudyLatent growth mixture modellingPrescription opioid receiptObservational cohort studyAging Cohort StudyOpioid therapyCause mortalityHepatitis COpioid prescriptionsFuture prevention researchOUD diagnosisGrowth mixture modellingUS veteransHigh prevalenceLow doseHigh incidenceUse disordersPrevention researchGenetic discoveriesReceiptHIV
2018
Duration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care
Barry DT, Marshall BDL, Becker WC, Gordon AJ, Crystal S, Kerns RD, Gaither JR, Gordon KS, Justice AC, Fiellin DA, Edelman EJ. Duration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2018, 191: 348-354. PMID: 30176548, PMCID: PMC6596307, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrescription opioid receiptPrescription opioidsMedical careOpioid receiptVeterans Health Administration primary careNonmedical useMultivariable Cox modelInfectious disease clinicProspective cohort studyProportional hazards regressionPrescription opioid medicationsPublic health problemSubstance use disordersMedication-related characteristicsOpioid therapyOpioid medicationsOpioid prescriptionsCohort studyDisease clinicMedian ageHazards regressionEligible participantsPrimary careRisk factorsIncidence rate
2016
The Effect of Substance Use Disorders on the Association Between Guideline-concordant Long-term Opioid Therapy and All-cause Mortality
Gaither JR, Goulet JL, Becker WC, Crystal S, Edelman EJ, Gordon K, Kerns RD, Rimland D, Skanderson M, Justice AC, Fiellin DA. The Effect of Substance Use Disorders on the Association Between Guideline-concordant Long-term Opioid Therapy and All-cause Mortality. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2016, 10: 418-428. PMID: 27610580, PMCID: PMC5083184, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000255.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubstance use disordersLong-term opioid therapyCause mortalityOpioid therapySUD treatmentUse disordersLower mortalityTime-updated Cox regressionUntreated substance use disordersVeterans Aging Cohort StudyOpioid-prescribing guidelinesGuideline-concordant careSUD statusAging Cohort StudyClinical practice guidelinesSUD treatment servicesOverall sampleHIV patientsCohort studyCox regressionPractice guidelinesPatientsTreatment servicesHigh mortalityMortalityThe Association Between Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Long-Term Opioid Therapy and All-Cause Mortality
Gaither JR, Goulet JL, Becker WC, Crystal S, Edelman EJ, Gordon K, Kerns RD, Rimland D, Skanderson M, Justice AC, Fiellin DA. The Association Between Receipt of Guideline-Concordant Long-Term Opioid Therapy and All-Cause Mortality. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2016, 31: 492-501. PMID: 26847447, PMCID: PMC4835362, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-015-3571-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubstance use disordersGuideline-concordant careCause mortalityOpioid therapyLong-term opioid therapyUntreated substance use disordersCurrent substance use disorderTerm opioid therapyTime-updated covariatesPrimary care visitsImportant clinical outcomesMulti-modal treatmentUrine drug testingUninfected patientsUntreated patientsCare visitsChronic painClinical outcomesCox regressionDecreased riskHigh comorbidityMortality burdenRehabilitative therapySUD treatmentHigh risk
2014
Guideline-Concordant Management of Opioid Therapy Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected and Uninfected Veterans
Gaither JR, Goulet JL, Becker WC, Crystal S, Edelman EJ, Gordon K, Kerns RD, Rimland D, Skanderson M, Weisberg DF, Justice AC, Fiellin DA. Guideline-Concordant Management of Opioid Therapy Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Infected and Uninfected Veterans. Journal Of Pain 2014, 15: 1130-1140. PMID: 25152300, PMCID: PMC4253900, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2014.08.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCurrent substance use disorderGuideline-concordant careOpioid therapyUrine drug testsHuman immunodeficiency virusSubstance use disordersUninfected patientsImmunodeficiency virusUse disordersPatient/provider characteristicsPrimary care provider visitsVeterans Affairs/DepartmentGuideline-concordant managementDrug testsCare concordantGuideline concordanceUninfected veteransProvider visitsPatient characteristicsPatient groupPrimary careClinical guidelinesPain medicineProvider characteristicsPatients