Shifting the Paradigm for Opioid Use Disorder: Changing the Language

摘要

Morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use have been on the rise, exemplifying a major public health epidemic. Despite public health interventions, opioid-related morbidity and mortality have yet to plateau or decrease. One explanation for this phenomenon is the presence of barriers to evidence-based pharmacotherapies. Stigma has only recently been identified as a barrier to treatment. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the language used to describe opioid use disorder and associated pharmacologic treatment. Nurse practitioners must emerge as leaders in ensuring that patient-centered and nonstigmatizing language is used to improve patient outcomes. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.