Shawn Cohen, MD
Assistant Professor of MedicineCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Hospital-Based Methadone and Buprenorphine Initiation Practices by Addiction Consult Services
Cohen S, Straus E, Fiellin D, Pomeranz J, Suzuki J, Tetrault J, Weimer M, Edelman E, Joudrey P. Hospital-Based Methadone and Buprenorphine Initiation Practices by Addiction Consult Services. JAMA Network Open 2025, 8: e2526077. PMID: 40773194, PMCID: PMC12332638, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.26077.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultBuprenorphineCross-Sectional StudiesDose-Response Relationship, DrugDrug Administration ScheduleFemaleFentanylHospitals, TeachingHumansMaleMethadoneMiddle AgedNarcotic AntagonistsOpiate Substitution TreatmentOpioid-Related DisordersPhysician ExecutivesPractice Guidelines as TopicReferral and ConsultationSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesConceptsInitiation of methadoneAddiction consult servicesMethadone initiationBuprenorphine initiationOpioid use disorderHigh dosesLow dosesAddiction medicineLow-dose initiationFull-agonist opioidsUp-titrationCross-sectional survey studyInitiation regimenFentanyl usePrimary outcomeDay 1OpioidBuprenorphineHospital-based practiceUse disorderClinical casesClinical guidelinesMethadoneSynthetic opioidsDoseEffect of Acupuncture for Methadone Reduction.
Cohen S, Tetrault J, Hill G. Effect of Acupuncture for Methadone Reduction. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2025, 178: 1212. PMID: 40825221, DOI: 10.7326/annals-25-01517.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Guideline concordance of electronic health record order sets for hospital‐based treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Cohen S, Kashyap N, Steel T, Edelman E, Fiellin D, Joudrey P. Guideline concordance of electronic health record order sets for hospital‐based treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Journal Of Hospital Medicine 2024, 20: 550-561. PMID: 39580659, PMCID: PMC12276874, DOI: 10.1002/jhm.13556.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchElectronic health recordsElectronic health record ordersTreatment of alcohol withdrawal syndromeSevere alcohol withdrawal syndromeTreatment of unhealthy alcohol useAlcohol withdrawal syndromeUnhealthy alcohol useAcute care hospitalsHospital organizationCross-sectional studyHospital-based treatmentCare practicesHealth recordsCare escalationGuideline concordanceSymptom assessmentCare hospitalProtocolized careRecord ordersAlcohol use disorderSymptom scoresAlcohol useSubstance useHospitalInconsistent definitionsAvailability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in US Psychiatric Hospitals
Cohen S, Beetham T, Fiellin D, Muvvala S. Availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in US Psychiatric Hospitals. JAMA Network Open 2024, 7: e2444679. PMID: 39535800, PMCID: PMC11561693, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44679.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTreatment of alcohol use disorder in patients with liver disease
Hill G, Cohen S, Weimer M. Treatment of alcohol use disorder in patients with liver disease. Clinical Liver Disease 2024, 23: e0217. PMID: 38841192, PMCID: PMC11152780, DOI: 10.1097/cld.0000000000000217.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Paths Forward for Clinicians Amidst the Rise of Unregulated Clinical Decision Support Software: Our Perspective on NarxCare
Buonora M, Axson S, Cohen S, Becker W. Paths Forward for Clinicians Amidst the Rise of Unregulated Clinical Decision Support Software: Our Perspective on NarxCare. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2023, 39: 858-862. PMID: 37962733, PMCID: PMC11043299, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08528-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchClinical decision support toolClinical decision support softwareHealthcare institutionsOpioid prescribingOverdose epidemicPatient encountersIndividual cliniciansPatient careProprietary formulaRigorous external validationCliniciansWider implementationExternal validationPrescribingPotential harmSufficient evidencePublic healthDecision support softwareDecision support toolSpecific actionsMortalityCarePerspectives on contingency management for alcohol use and alcohol‐associated conditions among people in care with HIV
Cohen S, DePhilippis D, Deng Y, Dziura J, Ferguson T, Fucito L, Justice A, Maisto S, Marconi V, Molina P, Paris M, Rodriguez‐Barradas M, Simberkoff M, Petry N, Fiellin D, Edelman E. Perspectives on contingency management for alcohol use and alcohol‐associated conditions among people in care with HIV. Alcohol Clinical And Experimental Research 2023, 47: 1783-1797. PMID: 37524371, PMCID: PMC10828101, DOI: 10.1111/acer.15159.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchUnhealthy alcohol useAlcohol useContingency managementPrimary care settingSubset of participantsReward structureEvidence-based approachHIV clinicImplementation science frameworkTreatment trialsClinical trialsIntervention feasibilityCare settingsPromoting ActionAlcohol consumptionRelated conditionsBiochemical testingClinical contextHIVReward schedulePatientsReward processesInterventionTrialsBehavior changeLow-dose Initiation of Buprenorphine in Hospitalized Patients Using Buccal Buprenorphine: A Case Series
Adams K, Cohen S, Guerra M, Weimer M. Low-dose Initiation of Buprenorphine in Hospitalized Patients Using Buccal Buprenorphine: A Case Series. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2023, 17: 474-476. PMID: 37579114, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001146.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderBuprenorphine initiationSublingual buprenorphineChronic painBuccal buprenorphineCase seriesClinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) scoresAddiction medicine serviceLow dose initiationSevere opioid withdrawalHistory of heroinOutpatient opioidsOpioid withdrawalAcute painFentanyl useHospitalized patientsMedian lengthPrescription refillsMedian numberModerate withdrawalInitiation strategiesBuprenorphineMedicine servicePatientsUse disordersEnding Medical Complicity With Skilled-Nursing Facility Discrimination Against People With Opioid Use Disorder.
Cohen S, Joab R, Bolles K, Friedman S, Kimmel S. Ending Medical Complicity With Skilled-Nursing Facility Discrimination Against People With Opioid Use Disorder. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2023, 176: 410-412. PMID: 36745883, PMCID: PMC12001998, DOI: 10.7326/m22-3049.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
A Plea From People Who Use Drugs to Clinicians: New Ways to Initiate Buprenorphine Are Urgently Needed in the Fentanyl Era
Sue KL, Cohen S, Tilley J, Yocheved A. A Plea From People Who Use Drugs to Clinicians: New Ways to Initiate Buprenorphine Are Urgently Needed in the Fentanyl Era. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2022, 16: 389-391. PMID: 35020693, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000952.Commentaries, Editorials and Letters
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Shawn Cohen, MD, is an internal medicine and addiction medicine specialist who focuses on treating people with substance use disorders. He primarily works in the hospital on the Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service, working to make the hospital a more supportive and compassionate place for people who use drugs.
As an assistant professor and clinician educator at Yale School of Medicine, he focuses his teaching and clinical work on improving access to evidence-based addiction care throughout the hospital and adapting care to a shifting drug supply.
Dr. Cohen received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, followed by an internal medicine residency at the University of Washington and a fellowship in addiction medicine at Yale School of Medicine.
Clinical Specialties
Addiction Medicine
Board Certifications
Addiction Medicine (Preventive Medicine)
- Certification Organization
- AB of Preventive Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 2022
News
News
- August 07, 2025
Fentanyl and Other High-Potency Synthetic Opioids Are Changing How Doctors Initiate Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the Hospital
- November 14, 2024
Why Do So Few U.S. Psych Hospitals Use Medications for Opioid Use Disorder?
- February 06, 2023
Discrimination Against People with OUD in Skilled Nursing Facilities: New Commentary Calls Healthcare Providers to Action
- November 21, 2022
The Curbsiders Addiction Medicine Podcast hosted by Yale Internal Medicine Faculty
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