Knowledge and Practice Gap
A qualitative study, funded by Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program, interviewed 104 people in southwest Ontario, Canada. The study focused on individuals who used methamphetamine and accessed hospital services between October 2020 and December 2021 Participants reported:
- stigma and a lack of knowledge about addiction and substance use among health care providers and other hospital staff.
- stigma and lack of trust can result in avoiding hospitals, reduced help-seeking and health care engagement, and, potentially, infections, discharge against medical advice and withdrawal.
The study concluded:
- Further education for health care providers to enhance therapeutic relationships, which could help introduce harm reduction strategies into hospitals.
- Individuals need to feel heard and respected before they seek treatment and access harm reduction interventions.
- Once therapeutic relationships built through trust are strengthened, the health care system can begin to provide treatment and harm reduction in an effective and accessible way.
- Further research is required to explore the feasibility of harm reduction provided in hospital as the approach is still in its infancy.
References
Forchuk, C., Serrato, J., & Scott, L. (2023). People with lived and living experience of methamphetamine use and admission to hospital: what harm reduction do they suggest needs to be addressed?. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice, 43(6), 338–347. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.43.7.04