A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine by University of Pittsburgh physicians found that in-hospital addiction medicine consultations can help reduce deaths in high-risk patients with substance use disorder.

The study included more than 700 high-risk patients who were admitted to UPMC Presbyterian hospital and were diagnosed with either alcohol or opioid use disorder.

The patients received an addiction medicine consultation that connected them to outpatient treatments, including medications, but also provided an opportunity to speak about their substance use with trained members of the addiction medicine team.

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