Perceived organizational support for the treatment of opioid use disorder and its association with primary care provider treatment willingness and medication prescribing.

INTRODUCTION

Buprenorphine is a highly effective medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD; OUD), which can be prescribed alongside naloxone in the primary care setting as part of a harm reduction approach to OUD. Despite this potential, implementation challenges have limited adoption of MOUD. To address barriers at the organizational level, we need better tools to measure perceived organizational support for the treatment of OUD and use of MOUD in the primary care setting. In this study, we developed an OUDSUPPORT measure to assess the relationship between organizational culture and critical treatment attitudes and behaviors in primary care.

METHODS

We conducted a statewide survey of 404 primary care-aligned health professionals (PCPs) in Ohio. We analyzed the survey data using descriptive and bivariate statistics. Additionally, three stepwise multivariable regression models assess the relationship between organizational support and three primary outcomes: willingness to treat OUD; receipt of the X-waiver, which was previously required to prescribe buprenorphine; and naloxone prescribing, independent of individual and county-level predictors.

RESULTS

The OUDSUPPORT measure demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, and was associated with meaningful treatment outcomes. PCPs perceived the strongest organizational support for a shared mission of providing care to people with OUD. The least commonly endorsed form of organizational support was for prescribing buprenorphine. Perceived organizational support was associated with increased willingness to treat OUD (b = 0.26; 95 % CI: 0.17, 0.35); higher odds of having received the X-waiver (OR = 1.63; 95 % CI: 1.26, 2.12); and higher odds of naloxone prescribing (OR = 1.71; 95 % CI: 1.30, 2.25).

CONCLUSIONS

OUDSUPPORT is a multidimensional measure of perceived organizational support for the treatment of OUD, which was associated with treatment willingness, receipt of buprenorphine prescribing training, and naloxone prescribing among PCPs. Implementation strategies to increase buprenorphine prescribing in the primary care setting must include efforts to decrease stigma, and address hesitance related to MOUD and harm reduction at the administrative level, in addition to addressing well known barriers at the individual prescriber level.