Spanish-speaking patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis were three times more likely to be hospitalized following a respiratory clinic visit than the general population according to an analysis of medical record data at a safety-net health system in eastern Massachusetts in the early months of the pandemic. This disparity is alarming because there are suggestions in […]
Background: There are growing racial disparities in opioid overdose mortality nationally and in Massachusetts, and research has identified racial/ethnic disparities in receipt of treatment following opioid overdoses in Boston. The capacity and characteristics of the workforce providing care to people who have survived or are at elevated risk of overdose likely impacts access to and […]
Community power-building programs seek to support communities to advocate for, take leadership on, and influence policies and practices that affect them. With evaluations of such programs, intentional advisory committee structures can advance the power-building goals of the program itself while also guiding the direction of the evaluation. This panel will share three examples of evaluation […]
Background: In Boston, there are rising opioid overdoses among Black and Latinx individuals and racial disparities in treatment. Yet little is known about the experiences of Black and Latinx overdose survivors immediately following overdose. Objective: To understand the experiences of Boston residents during and immediately after an opioid overdose. Methods: The Boston Overdose Linkage to […]
Background: There are significant gaps in receipt of addiction treatment following opioid overdoses in Boston, particularly among Black and Latinx overdose survivors. Previous research has established personal readiness as central in the decision to seek care among people who use substances. Especially due to high risk of repeated overdose in this population, improving treatment engagement […]