commentary Archives

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Commentary On The 40^th Anniversary of AMERSA: AMERSA at 40: How It All Began And How It Survived

David Lewis MD & Sidney H. Schnoll MD, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 2, 2018

“The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest health care system in the US, has been at the forefront of integrating medication into the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). VA has utilized multiple policy levers, including national policy, directed funding, educational and quality improvement initiatives and data monitoring systems, which have collectively led to a greater use of medication for the treatment of OUD even as the number of patients diagnosed with OUD has expanded considerably. And yet substantial challenges persist: indicated medications remain underutilized, facilities continue to vary widely in their rates of prescribing, patients’ demographic and social status characteristics are correlated with medication receipt, and VA’s capacity to supply methadone has not risen to meet patient demand. This article describes key priorities for future research and clinical practice intended to support the greater use of medication for OUD in the future, both within VA as well as other large health care systems.”

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Person First and Patient First: Tailoring Language to Individual Patient Needs

Jasleen Salwan, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 2, 2019

“The Commentary, Person First and Patient First: Tailoring Language to Individual Patient Needs, aims to foster dialogue on patient-centered language in addiction. Person-first language, which positions the person literally before the disease, has been shown to humanize and empower people living with addiction. Many experts have called for the exclusive use of person-first language and have argued that terms like “addict” or “alcoholic” should be removed from the provider’s lexicon. However, confusion can arise when individuals use these terms to describe themselves, or when groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous encourage members to own certain identities as a part of their healing process. It is the author’s hope that this commentary will stir conversation on the nuances of patient-centered language.“

The Authors’ Own Words: AMERSA at 40: HOW IT ALL BEGAN AND HOW IT SURVIVED

The Authors’ Own Words: Person First and Patient First: Tailoring Language to Individual Patient Needs