Health Care Professional Willingness to Treat Opioid Use Disorder vs Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care

Are primary care professionals (PCPs) more willing to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) or type 2 diabetes in the primary care setting?This cross-sectional study of 375 PCPs in Ohio found that participants viewed type 2 diabetes as more complicated to treat, viewed patients with type 2 diabetes as more responsible for their diagnosis, and had more empathy toward patients with OUD. However, participants were more willing to treat type 2 diabetes in primary care and more likely to refer patients with OUD to a specialist.These findings suggest that future implementation work is needed to determine whether addressing the implementation climate, especially perceptions that primary care is compatible with OUD treatment, could improve treatment access and OUD outcomes.

Corresponding Author: Berkeley Franz, PhD, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Irvine 210, Athens, OH 45701 (franzb@ohio.edu).

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