Substance use disorder bridge clinics: models, evidence, and future directions

• Published in: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 2023-04, Vol.18 (1), p.23-23, Article 23
• Main Authors: Taylor, Jessica L, Wakeman, Sarah E, Walley, Alexander Y, Kehoe, Laura G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Addiction; Addictions; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Analgesics, Opioid; Analysis; Antibiotics; Bacterial infections; Bridge clinic; Buprenorphine; Child; Clinical outcomes; Clinics; Continuity of Patient Care; Drug overdose; Drug stores; Drug use; Drugs; Emergency medical care; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Funding; Harm reduction; Hospitals; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infections; Infectious diseases; Innovations; Interdisciplinary aspects; Long term health care; Long-term care of the sick; Medical treatment; Medicine; Methadone; Mortality; Multiple drugs; Narcotics; Opiate Overdose; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid use disorder; Opioid-Related Disorders - therapy; Opioids; Overdose; Patient-centered care; Patients; Perinatal Care; Pharmaceutical policy; Phlebotomy; Pregnancy; Public health; Review; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Substance abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use disorder; Telemedicine; Treatment methods
• ISSN: 1940-0640; 1940-0632; 1940-0640
• DOI: 10.1186/s13722-023-00365-2

The opioid overdose and polysubstance use crises have led to the development of low-barrier, transitional substance use disorder (SUD) treatment models, including bridge clinics. Bridge clinics offer immediate access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and other SUD treatment and are increasingly numerous. However, given relatively recent implementation, the clinical impact of bridge clinics is not well described. In this narrative review, we describe existing bridge clinic models, services provided, and unique characteristics, highlighting how bridge clinics fill critical gaps in the SUD care continuum. We discuss available evidence for bridge clinic effectiveness in care delivery, including retention in SUD care. We also highlight gaps in available data. The first era of bridge clinic implementation has yielded diverse models united in the mission to lower barriers to SUD treatment entry, and preliminary data indicate success in patient-centered program design, MOUD initiation, MOUD retention, and SUD care innovation. However, data on effectiveness in linking to long-term care are limited. Bridge clinics represent a critical innovation, offering on-demand access to MOUD and other services. Evaluating the effectiveness of bridge clinics in linking patients to long-term care settings remains an important research priority; however, available data show promising rates of treatment initiation and retention, potentially the most important metric amidst an increasingly dangerous drug supply.