A self-assessment of opioid use disorder services at a Pacific Northwest County jail

Abstract

Abstract This study describes the delivery of opioid use disorder (OUD) services in a Pacific Northwest County jail focusing on screening, assessment, withdrawal management, and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Guided by the 2023 Medicaid performance measures, self-assessment data were collected through stakeholder interviews, policy and electronic healthcare records (EHR) analyses, and a systematic survey focusing on conformity to practice, policy, and documentation. This jail provided OUD screening, assessment, withdrawal management, and MOUD supported by institutional policy and an EHR software system. Survey results confirmed strong conformity to the 2023 Medicaid performance measures, with 91.9% of required recommendations met for policy and practice domains and 87.9% for documentation. Optional (not required) recommendations achieved 80.0% conformity for policy, 93.3% for practice, and 60.0% for documentation. The findings from this self-assessment underscore the robust implementation of OUD services in one jail and can inform internal and external performance improvement goals and activities. (150 words)

Keywords

• Opioid
• Jails
• Opioid use disorder
• OUD
• Medications for opioid use disorders
• MOUD