Emergency department encounters for opioid abuse, adverse events, poisoning, and dependence among members of a community-based health insurance plan—Central Texas, 2016–2018

摘要

BackgroundThe United States appears to be in the midst of an opioid epidemic. National data indicate a rise in emergency department visits for opioid-related causes over the past decade. This data, while important in helping to explain the magnitude of the epidemic nationally offers only a glimpse of what can be expected to occur locally. The objective of this secondary data analysis was to describe the impact that opioid abuse, adverse events, poisoning, and dependence have on emergency department utilization for individuals who purchased health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Central Texas from a community-based health maintenance organization.