Describe an issue related to the National Practice Problem you selected that is impacting quality, safety, or financial outcomes at your practice setting.

Translate evidence in to practice substance use disorder | informatics | Chamberlain College of Nursing

The National Practice Problem I selected is addressing the opioid epidemic. In my practice setting, one of the issues impacting quality, safety and financial outcomes is the lack of access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD). MAT has been proven to be an effective option for treating OUD when combined with counseling and other behavioral health interventions; however, due to a shortage of treatments in our rural community, many patients do not have access to this potentially life-saving therapy. This limits their options for receiving specialized care and increases their risk for relapse and overdose. Furthermore, the lack of resources may affect reimbursement from insurers as few will pay for services that are not available in a patient’s area. This can further strain our already limited financial resources as well as compromise patient care.