Rockville, MD, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Academic, medical, and public health practitioners have been debating the best way to ensure safer pain management for adolescents and link them to opioid use disorder (OUD) care while minimizing the risks of prescription opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded Abt Associates a $1 million contract to help improve CDC’s understanding of current practices and address barriers that influence pain management in adolescent populations and their OUD treatment in primary care settings.
Abt will conduct a literature review, environmental scan, and analysis of secondary data. We then will develop a repository of resources to improve prescribing, a toolkit to help health systems expand access to medication for OUD for adolescents, and peer-reviewed journal articles to advance the field.
“This project will combine our opioid, behavioral health, clinical and adolescent substance use disorder expertise to help a too-often-overlooked segment of our population that the opioid crisis has affected,” says Dr. Sarah Shoemaker-Hunt, Principal Associate and the project director. “We need to support primary care providers by examining the best practices for pain management and OUD treatment for the nation’s youth.”
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About Abt Associates
Abt Associates is a global consulting and research firm that uses data and bold thinking to improve the quality of people's lives. From combatting infectious disease and conducting rigorous program evaluations, to ensuring safe drinking water and promoting access to affordable housing - and more - we partner with clients and communities to tackle their most complex challenges.
