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OBJECTIVE To identify factors associated with referral and enrollment in early intervention (EI) for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 256 infants born with NAS (2006-2013) at a tertiary care hospital in (Springfield), Massachusetts, linking maternal-infant birth hospitalization records with Department of Public Health EI records. We calculated the percent of infants retained at each step in the EI enrollment process over the first 3 years of life. We conducted separate multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with EI referral and enrollment. RESULTS Among mothers, 82% received medication-assisted treatment at delivery, 36% endorsed illicit drug use during pregnancy, and 76% retained custody of their child at discharge. Among infants, 77% were referred to EI and 48% were enrolled in services. Of infants discharged to biological parents, 81% were referred to EI versus 66% of infants discharged to foster care (p ≤ 0.05); this difference persisted in multivariable analysis [adjusted odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-4.86]. Infants in the highest tertile for length of stay had 2.70 times the odds of EI enrollment (95% CI, 1.37-5.31). CONCLUSION Fewer than half of the eligible infants with NAS were enrolled in EI services. Discharge to a biological parent and longer hospital stay had the strongest associations with EI referral and enrollment, respectively. Efforts to improve EI referral rates during the birth hospitalization, particularly among infants discharged into foster care, and close follow-up for infants with shorter hospital stays would enhance the developmental supports for this vulnerable population.

Introduction: Excessive alcohol intake and binge drinking behavior has known detrimental cardiovascular impacts. National estimates suggest that about 7% of U.S. adults has hazardous drinking behavior, but it is unclear if this is different among the inpatient cardiac population and, furthermore, how often this issue is addressed during hospitalization. Hypothesis: Prevalence of alcohol use is underappreciated in the cardiac population due to purported health benefits, and therefore, likely to be overlooked. Methods: Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), among patients hospitalized for cardiac surgery, heart failure (HF) or myocardial infarction (MI) between June and September 2019. Problem drinking was defined as an AUDIT score of ≥8 with binge drinking defined as 5+ drinks for men or 4+ for women on a single occasion within the past 30 days. Hazardous drinking was defined as a combination of either problem or binge drinking behavior. Results: Of 300 patients approached, a total of 290 (96.7%) completed the survey (33% non-drinkers, age 69 ± 11 years, 70% male, 4% Spanish-speaking, 31% surgical). The rate (95% CI) of problem, binge, and hazardous drinking was 12% (9-16), 16% (12-20), and 18% (14-23), respectively. Irrespective of alcohol use, 58% of patients reported being asked about alcohol use during their admission, mostly by nurses (56%). Patients with hazardous drinking were counseled more frequently about their alcohol use compared to non-hazardous drinkers, (11% vs 3%, p = 0.03), but the large majority (89%) of hazardous drinkers received no advice about their alcohol use while hospitalized and only 34 (12%) patients reported having ever been given a recommendation about alcohol consumption by a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon. Conclusions: In patients hospitalized for acute cardiac illnesses, the prevalence of problem drinking was more than double national estimates. About half of patients with problem drinking behavior were asked about their alcohol, and only a minority of patients received counseling. Our findings suggest that hazardous alcohol use is more common that previously appreciated, and that there are substantial health-system gaps in screening and counseling for this important cardiovascular risk factor.

Background To investigate how incarceration may affect risk of acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, we tested associations of ex-offenders' sexual risk behavior with the male-female sex ratio and the male incarceration rate. Methods Longitudinal data from 1287 drug-involved persons on probation and parole as part of the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies were matched by county of residence with population factors, and stratified by race/ethnicity and gender. Generalized estimating equations assessed associations of having unprotected sex with a partner who had HIV risk factors, and having >1 sex partner in the past month. Results Among non-Hispanic black men and women, low sex ratios were associated with greater risk of having unprotected sex with a risky partner (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29, 2.42; ARR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.31, 4.73, respectively). Among non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white (NHW) women, low sex ratios were associated with having >1 sex partner (ARR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.02, 3.94; ARR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.75, respectively). High incarceration rates were associated with greater risk of having a risky partner for all men (non-Hispanic black: ARR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.39, 3.30; NHW: ARR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.85; Hispanic: ARR = 3.99, 95% CI = 1.55, 10.26) and having >1 partner among NHW men (ARR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.40, 2.64). Conclusions Low sex ratios and high incarceration rates may influence the number and risk characteristics of sex partners of ex-offenders. HIV-prevention policies and programs for ex-offenders could be improved by addressing structural barriers to safer sexual behavior.

An episode of substance abuse treatment is an opportunity to link substance-abusing patients to medical care at a time when management of medical problems might stabilize recovery and long-term health. However, little is known about the ability of organizational linkage mechanisms to facilitate the delivery of medical care to this population.The goal of this study was to examine whether organizational linkage mechanisms facilitate medical service utilization in drug abuse treatment programs.This was a prospective secondary analysis of the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study, a national longitudinal study of drug abuse treatment programs and their patients from 1991 to 1993. Hierarchical linear models evaluated the effect of on-site delivery, formal and informal referral, case management emphasis, and transportation on the log-transformed number of medical visits at the 1-month in-treatment patient interview.Program directors' surveys provided organizational information, including the linkage mechanism used to deliver medical care. Patients reported the number of medical visits during the first month of drug abuse treatment.Exclusive on-site delivery increased medical utilization during the first month of drug abuse treatment (beta estimate, 0.22; standard error [SE], 0.06; P0.001). Transportation services also increased 1-month medical utilization (beta estimate, 0.13; SE, 0.03; P0.001).Exclusive on-site delivery of medical services increased drug abuse treatment patients' utilization of medical services in the first month of treatment. Transportation assistance warrants strong policy consideration as a facilitator of medical service delivery. Future research should clarify whether program-level linkage to medical services improves the patient-level outcomes of drug abuse treatment.

This study examines whether having designated case management staff facilitates delivery of comprehensive medical and psychosocial services in substance abuse treatment programs. A multilevel, prospective cohort study of 2829 clients admitted to selected substance abuse treatment programs was used to study clients from long-term residential, outpatient, and methadone treatment modalities. Program directors reported whether the program had staff designated as case managers. After treatment discharge, clients reported their receipt of 9 supplemental services during the treatment episode. In multivariate models controlling for multiple program-level and client-level factors, program-level availability of designated case managers increased client-level receipt of only 2 of 9 services, and exerted no effect on service comprehensiveness, compared to programs that did not have designated case managers. These findings do not support the common practice of designating case management staff as a means to facilitate comprehensive services delivery in addiction treatment programs.