Patrick G. O'Connor, MD, MPH, MACP
Dan Adams and Amanda Adams Professor of General MedicineCards
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Chief, Section of General Internal Medicine
Head of Advisory House, Yan House, Office of Student Affairs
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Chief, Section of General Internal Medicine
Head of Advisory House, Yan House, Office of Student Affairs
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Chief, Section of General Internal Medicine
Head of Advisory House, Yan House, Office of Student Affairs
Contact Info
About
Titles
Dan Adams and Amanda Adams Professor of General Medicine
Chief, Section of General Internal Medicine; Head of Advisory House, Yan House, Office of Student Affairs
Biography
Research Interests:
Dr. O’Connor has focused his research on the interface between primary care and addiction medicine. This has included research examining the transfer of addiction treatment strategies from “specialty” settings to primary care and other general medical settings. His publications in this area include studies on the management of opioid withdrawal in primary care settings, opioid maintenance in primary care, and the use of naltrexone for treating alcohol dependence in primary care patients. He has been active in medical education on addiction both nationally and internationally and has served as the President of The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research on Substance use and Addiction (AMERSA) and of the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and The Addiction Medicine Foundation.
Selected Recent Publications:
O’Connor, PG. Brief Interventions for Problem Drinking: Another Piece of the Puzzle. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2007; 146(3):223-225.
Martell BA, O’Connor PG, Kerns RD, Becker WC, Morales KH, Kosten TR, and Fiellin DA. Systematic Review: Opioid treatment for chronic back pain: prevalence, efficacy and association with addiction. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2007; 146:116-127.
Sledge, WH, Brown, KE, Levine, JM, Fiellin, DA, Chawarski, M, White, WD, O’Connor, PG. A Randomized Trial of Primary Intensive Care to Reduce Hospital Admissions in Patients with High Utilization of Inpatient Services. Disease Management. 2006; 9(6)328-338.
O’Connor PG. Problem Drinkers: Find Them, Keep Them, Don’t Lose Them, Treat Them. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2005; 20(1):96-97.
D’Onofrio G, MS; Pantalon MV, Degutis LC, Fiellin DA, O’Connor PG. Development and Implementation of an Emergency Practitioner-Performed Brief Intervention for Harmful and Hazardous Drinkers in the Emergency Department. Academic Emergency Medicine. 2005; 12(3):249-256.
O’Connor PG. Methods of Detoxification and Their Role in Managing Patients With Opioid Dependence. JAMA. 2005; 294(8):961-963.
Sullivan LE, Fiellin DA, O’Connor PG. The prevalence and impact of alcohol problems in major depression: A systematic review. American Journal ofMedicine. 2005; 118(4):330-341.
Kernan WE, Holmboe E, O’Connor PG. Assessing the teaching behaviors of ambulatory care preceptors. Academic Medicine. 2004; 79(11):1088-1094.
O’Malley S, Rounsaville BJ, Farren C, Namkoong K, Wu R, Robinson J, O’Connor PG. Initial and Maintenance Naltrexone for Alcohol dependence using primary care vs. specialty care: A nested sequence of three randomized trials. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003; 163(14):1695-1704.
Kosten T, O’Connor PG. Current Concepts: Management of Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal. New England Journal of Medicine. 2003; 348(18):1786-1795.
Reid MC, Engles-Horton LL, Weber MB, Kerns RD, Rogers EL, O’Connor PG. Use of opioid medications for chronic noncancer pain syndromes in primary care. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2002; 17(3):173-9.
O’Connor PG. Treating opioid dependence—new data and new opportunities. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2000; 343(18):1332-4.
Fiellin DA, Reid MC, O’Connor PG. Screening for alcohol problems in primary care: A systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000; 160(13):1977-89.
O’Connor PG, Fiellin DA. Pharmacologic treatment of heroin-dependent patients. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2000; 133(1):40-54.
D’Onofrio G, Fiellin DA, Pantalon MV, Chawarski MC, Owens P, Degutis LC, Busch SH, Bernstein SL, O’Connor PG. A brief intervention reduces hazardous and harmful drinking in emergency department patients. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2012, 60:181-192. PMID: 22459448.
Moore BA, Barry DT, Sullivan LE, O'Connor PG, Cutter CJ, Schottenfeld RS, Fiellin DA.Counseling and directly observed medication for primary care buprenorphine maintenance: a pilot study. Journal of Addiction Medicine 2012, 6(3):205-211. PMID: 22614936.
Tetrault JM, Moore BA, Barry DT, O’Connor PG, Schottenfeld R, Fiellin DA, Fiellin LE. Brief versus extended counseling along with buprenorphone/naloxone for HIV-infected opioid dependent patients. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 2012, 43(4):433-439. PMID: 22938914.
Fiellin DA, Barry DT, Sullivan LE, Cutter CJ, Moore BA, O’Connor PG, Schottenfeld RS. A randomized trial of cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care-based buprenorphine. American Journal of Medicine 2013, 126(1):74-9. PMID: 23260506.
O’Connor PG. Managing substance dependence as a chronic disease: is the glass half full or half empty? JAMA 2013, 310(11):1132-4. PMID: 24045739.
Edelman EJ, Chantarat T, Caffrey S, Chaudhry A, O'Connor PG, Weiss L, Fiellin DA, Fiellin LE. The impact of buprenorphine/naloxone treatment on HIV risk behaviors among HIV-infected, opioid-dependent patients. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2014, 139:79-85. PMID: 24726429.
Gueorguieva R, Wu R, O’Connor PG, Weisner C, Fucito LM, Hoffman S, Mann K, O’Malley SS. Predictors of abstinence from heavy drinking during treatment in COMBINE and external validation in PREDICT. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2014, 38(10):2647-2656. PMID: 25346505.
O’Connor PG, Sokol RJ, D’Onofrio G. Addiction medicine: the birth of a new discipline. JAMA Internal Medicine 2014, 174(11):1717-1718. PMID: 25201642.
Fiellin DA, Schottenfeld, RS, Cutter CJ, Moore BA, Barry DT, O’Connor PG. Primary care–based buprenorphine taper vs maintenance therapy for prescription opioid dependence: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Internal Medicine 2014, 174(12):1947-54. PMID: 25330017
Tetrault JM, O’Connor PG. Unhealthy alcohol use, including alcohol use disorder: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, course assessment, and diagnosis. UpToDate 20
Bagley S, Peterson J, Cheng DM, Jose C, Quinn E, O’Connor PG, Walley AY. Overdose Education and Naloxone Rescue Kits for Family Members of Individuals Who Use Opioids: Characteristics, Motivations, and Naloxone Use. Substance Abuse 2015, 36(2):149-54. PMID: 25564892.
Fiellin D, Samet J, O’Connor PG. Addressing bias in observational studies of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a call to the field. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2015, 39(2):390. PMID: 25665029.
D'Onofrio G, O'Connor PG, Pantalon MV, Chawarski MC, Busch SH, Owens PH, Bernstein SL, Fiellin DA. Emergency department-initiated buprenorphine/naloxone treatment for opioid dependence: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2015, 313(16):1636-44. PMID: 25919527.
O’Connor PG. Alcohol use disorder. In Goldman-Cecil Medicine, 25th Edition, 2015:149-156.
Gueorguieva R, Wu R, Tsai W, O’Connor PG,Fucito L, Zhang H, O’Malley SS.An analysis of moderators in the COMBINE Study: Identifying subgroups of patients who benefit from acamprosate. European Neuropsychopharmacology. 2015 Oct;25(10):1586-99. PMID: 26141511.
Edelman EJ, Hansen NB, Cutter CJ, Danton, C, Fiellin LE, O'Connor PG, Williams EC, Maisto SA, Bryant K, Fiellin DA. Implementation of Integrated Stepped Care for Unhealthy Alcohol Use in HIV Clinics. Addiction Science and Clinical Practice. 2016 Jan 13, 11: 1. PMID: 26763048.
Education:
B.S., Union College, 1978
M.D., The Albany Medical College, 1982
M.P.H., Yale University School of Medicine, 1988
Training:
Internal Medicine Residency: The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 1982-1985
Chief Residency: The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 1985-1986
Fellowship: The Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University, 1986-1988
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
Section ChiefDualGeneral Internal Medicine
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
- General Internal Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Program in Addiction Medicine
- SBIRT Training in Yale Residency Programs
- Yale Medicine
- Yale Ventures
- Yale-Drug use, Addiction, and HIV prevention Research Scholars (DAHRS)
- Yale-New Haven Hospital Primary Care Center
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Yale University School of Medicine (1988)
- MPH
- Yale University School of Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology (1988)
- Chief Resident
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (1986)
- Resident
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (1985)
- MD
- Albany Medical College (1982)
- BS
- Union College, Biology (1978)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
- View Lab Website
Yale General Internal Medicine
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Marek Chawarski, PhD
David Fiellin, MD
Gail D'Onofrio, MD, MS
Declan Barry, PhD
Jeanette Tetrault, MD, FACP, FASAM
Edouard Coupet II, MD, MS
Opioid-Related Disorders
Alcoholism
Substance-Related Disorders
Internal Medicine
Education, Medical
Publications
2024
W81 Implementation Facilitation Improves Clinician Readiness to Provide Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine in Four Urban Academic Centers
Hawk K, D'Onofrio G, Chawarski M, Coupet E, Cowan E, Curry L, Freiermurth C, Lyons M, Murphy A, O'Connor P, Richardson L, Rothman R, Whiteside L, Williams J, Fiellin D, Edelman E. W81 Implementation Facilitation Improves Clinician Readiness to Provide Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine in Four Urban Academic Centers. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2024, 260: 110699. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110699.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Perspectives on and experiences of emergency department–initiated buprenorphine among clinical pharmacists: A multi-site qualitative study
Justen M, Edelman E, Chawarski M, Coupet E, Cowan E, Lyons M, Owens P, Martel S, Richardson L, Rothman R, Whiteside L, O'Connor P, Zahn E, D'Onofrio G, Fiellin D, Hawk K. Perspectives on and experiences of emergency department–initiated buprenorphine among clinical pharmacists: A multi-site qualitative study. Journal Of Substance Use And Addiction Treatment 2023, 155: 209058. PMID: 37149149, DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209058.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsOpioid use disorderClinical pharmacistsED careEmergency department-initiated buprenorphineEffective OUD treatmentEffectiveness-implementation studyHealth Services frameworkFocus groups/interviewsMulti-site qualitative studyFuture implementation effortsOUD treatmentUrban EDGroups/interviewsEmergency departmentPromoting ActionUnique pharmacologyED staffBuprenorphinePharmacist participantsUse disordersED contextPharmacistsPractice changePharmacy resourcesSuccessful program implementationPerspectives of Clinicians and Staff at Community-Based Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Settings on Linkages With Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine Programs
Sue K, Chawarski M, Curry L, McNeil R, Coupet E, Schwartz R, Wilder C, Tsui J, Hawk K, D’Onofrio G, O’Connor P, Fiellin D, Edelman E. Perspectives of Clinicians and Staff at Community-Based Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Settings on Linkages With Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine Programs. JAMA Network Open 2023, 6: e2312718. PMID: 37163263, PMCID: PMC10173026, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.12718.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCommunity-based cliniciansOpioid use disorderEmergency departmentOUD treatmentMedication treatmentSubstance use disorders trainingUrban academic emergency departmentEffectiveness-implementation studyAcademic emergency departmentDisorder treatment settingsPerspectives of cliniciansCommunity-based treatmentCommunity-based treatment programsStaff perspectivesImplementation science frameworkBuprenorphine programTreatment cliniciansPeer navigatorsReferral sitesPromoting ActionMAIN OUTCOMEED staffBuprenorphineFocus groupsUse disordersImplementation Facilitation to Promote Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
D’Onofrio G, Edelman E, Hawk K, Chawarski M, Pantalon M, Owens P, Martel S, Rothman R, Saheed M, Schwartz R, Cowan E, Richardson L, Salsitz E, Lyons M, Freiermuth C, Wilder C, Whiteside L, Tsui J, Klein J, Coupet E, O’Connor P, Matthews A, Murphy S, Huntley K, Fiellin D. Implementation Facilitation to Promote Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA Network Open 2023, 6: e235439. PMID: 37017967, PMCID: PMC10077107, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5439.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsOpioid use disorderRate of patientsOUD treatmentImplementation facilitationED visitsObservational cohortED cliniciansX-waiverUse disordersEmergency Department-Initiated BuprenorphineUntreated opioid use disorderEvaluation periodHybrid type 3Provision of buprenorphineBaseline periodGrand roundsRates of EDPrimary outcomeWhite patientsAcademic EDBlack patientsED patientsEmergency departmentCommunity cliniciansMAIN OUTCOME
2022
Missed Opportunities for HIV and Hepatitis C Screening Among Emergency Department Patients With Untreated Opioid Use Disorder
Lyons MS, Chawarski MC, Rothman R, Whiteside L, Cowan E, Richardson LD, Hawk K, Tsui JI, Schwartz RP, O’Connor P, D’Onofrio G, Fiellin DA, Edelman EJ. Missed Opportunities for HIV and Hepatitis C Screening Among Emergency Department Patients With Untreated Opioid Use Disorder. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2022, 17: 210-214. PMID: 36170184, PMCID: PMC10023471, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001074.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUntreated opioid use disorderOpioid use disorderRecent injection drug useEmergency department HIVInjection drug useHCV screeningED patientsUse disordersEnrollment periodDrug useHepatitis C screeningStructured screening programmeUnknown HCV statusUnknown HIV statusHigh-risk cohortMedical care providersHCV statusC screeningHepatitis CED visitsAcademic EDHIV statusEmergency departmentCohort 2Cohort 1Models for Implementing Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine With Referral for Ongoing Medication Treatment at Emergency Department Discharge in Diverse Academic Centers
Whiteside LK, D'Onofrio G, Fiellin DA, Edelman EJ, Richardson L, O'Connor P, Rothman RE, Cowan E, Lyons MS, Fockele CE, Saheed M, Freiermuth C, Punches BE, Guo C, Martel S, Owens PH, Coupet E, Hawk KF. Models for Implementing Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine With Referral for Ongoing Medication Treatment at Emergency Department Discharge in Diverse Academic Centers. Annals Of Emergency Medicine 2022, 80: 410-419. PMID: 35752520, PMCID: PMC9588652, DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.05.010.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsOpioid use disorderUse disordersEmergency Department-Initiated BuprenorphineEmergency department dischargeEmergency department patientsElectronic medical record integrationAcademic medical centerBuprenorphine programDepartment patientsTreatment initiationMedication treatmentEmergency physiciansMedical CenterAmerican CollegeClinical practiceImplementation facilitationQuality improvement processBuprenorphineCommon facilitatorsRecord integrationPatientsReferralED cultureEducational disseminationDisordersCharacterizing the social support and functioning of a low-threshold medication for opioid use disorder treatment cohort at intake
Oles W, Alexander M, Kumar N, Howell B, O’Connor P, Madden LM, Barry DT. Characterizing the social support and functioning of a low-threshold medication for opioid use disorder treatment cohort at intake. BMC Psychiatry 2022, 22: 236. PMID: 35366844, PMCID: PMC8976510, DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03884-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLow-threshold clinicDemographic characteristicsOpioid use disorder treatmentMultivariate logistic regression modelBrief Pain InventoryPatient demographic characteristicsOpioid use disorderSocial supportSymptom Identification ScaleUse disorder treatmentNon-Hispanic whitesLogistic regression modelsOlder patientsPain InventoryTreatment cohortsSelf-reported social supportLife Events ChecklistMOUD treatmentBaseline disparitiesTreatment accessTreatment needsHigh riskUse disordersMortality rateDisorder treatmentPerspectives About Emergency Department Care Encounters Among Adults With Opioid Use Disorder
Hawk K, McCormack R, Edelman EJ, Coupet E, Toledo N, Gauthier P, Rotrosen J, Chawarski M, Martel S, Owens P, Pantalon MV, O’Connor P, Whiteside LK, Cowan E, Richardson LD, Lyons MS, Rothman R, Marsch L, Fiellin DA, D’Onofrio G. Perspectives About Emergency Department Care Encounters Among Adults With Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA Network Open 2022, 5: e2144955. PMID: 35076700, PMCID: PMC8790663, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44955.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUntreated opioid use disorderOpioid use disorderEmergency departmentED visitsOUD treatmentUse disordersPublic safety-net hospitalRural critical access hospitalsEmergency department careSafety-net hospitalUrban academic centerLife-saving treatmentCritical access hospitalsImplementation science frameworkPatient factorsTreatment initiationED careUS patientsStaff trainingDemand treatmentPatient readinessNet hospitalPatient's perspectivePromoting ActionImproved careThe Impact of Access to Addiction Specialist on Attitudes, Beliefs and Hospital-Based Opioid Use Disorder Related Care: A Survey of Hospitalist Physicians
Calcaterra SL, Binswanger IA, Edelman EJ, McNair BK, Wakeman SE, O'Connor P. The Impact of Access to Addiction Specialist on Attitudes, Beliefs and Hospital-Based Opioid Use Disorder Related Care: A Survey of Hospitalist Physicians. Substance Use & Addiction Journal 2022, 43: 143-151. PMID: 32267807, PMCID: PMC7541600, DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1748169.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsOpioid use disorderAddiction specialistsLocal treatment resourcesLife-saving treatmentBuprenorphine initiationMultivariable analysisOUD careScreening practicesHospitalist physiciansUse disordersClinical practicePatientsRelated careTreatment resourcesHospitalistsHarm reductionCareTreatmentUnited StatesSpecialistsOnline surveyHospitalizationBuprenorphineComplicationsPrescribing
2021
Change in Alcohol Use Based on Self-Report and a Quantitative Biomarker, Phosphatidylethanol, in People With HIV
McGinnis KA, Tate JP, Bryant KJ, Justice AC, O’Connor P, Rodriguez-Barradas MC, Crystal S, Cutter CJ, Hansen NB, Maisto SA, Marconi VC, Williams EC, Cook RL, Gordon AJ, Gordon KS, Eyawo O, Edelman EJ, Fiellin DA. Change in Alcohol Use Based on Self-Report and a Quantitative Biomarker, Phosphatidylethanol, in People With HIV. AIDS And Behavior 2021, 26: 786-794. PMID: 34542779, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03438-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and Concepts
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
activity American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the ABAM Foundation, The ABAM Foundation’s Training Committee
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2012 - Presentactivity American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the ABAM Foundation, The ABAM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Committee
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2011 - Presentactivity American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the ABAM Foundation, The ABAM and ABAM Foundation Finance Committee
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2011 - Presentactivity American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the ABAM Foundation, The ABAM Foundation Residency Development and Funding Work Group
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2010 - Presentactivity American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the ABAM Foundation, The ABAM Addiction Medicine Outreach Committee
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails2009 - Present
Clinical Care
Overview
Dr. O’Connor has focused his scholarly work on the interface between primary care and addiction medicine. This has included research examining the transfer of addiction treatment strategies from “specialty” settings to primary care and other general medical settings. His publications in this area include studies on the management of opioid withdrawal in primary care settings, opioid maintenance in primary care, and the use of naltrexone for treating alcohol dependence in primary care patients. He has been active in medical education on substance abuse both nationally and internationally and has served as the president of The Association for Medical Education and Research on Substance Abuse (AMERSA) and The American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and The Addiction Medicine Foundation.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Hemoglobin A1C Test
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Board Certifications
Internal Medicine
- Certification Organization
- AB of Internal Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 1986
Yale Medicine News
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News
- March 06, 2024
Laura Whitman Firm Honors Memory of 'Consummate Doctor’s Doctor'
- January 31, 2024
Dr. Ben Gallagher Receives SGIM Northeast Region’s Award for Excellence in Clinician Education
- January 19, 2024
Dr. Jeanette Tetrault Wins Award for Excellence in Addiction Medicine Education
- June 21, 2023
Dr. John Hughes, Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of the Program for Medical Ethics, Retires
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