Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences

Abstract Background Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) saves lives and makes it possible to start a process of health and social rehabilitation. Previous research shows that those who leave OMT after years of a drug free life and a reasonable level of health and social rehabilitation can have a good...

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Main Authors: Sverre Nesvåg, Per Bergqvist, Ingrid Elin Dahlberg, James R. McKay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2024-11-01
Series:BMC Health Services Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11859-3
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author Sverre Nesvåg
Per Bergqvist
Ingrid Elin Dahlberg
James R. McKay
author_facet Sverre Nesvåg
Per Bergqvist
Ingrid Elin Dahlberg
James R. McKay
author_sort Sverre Nesvåg
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) saves lives and makes it possible to start a process of health and social rehabilitation. Previous research shows that those who leave OMT after years of a drug free life and a reasonable level of health and social rehabilitation can have a good chance of living a stable drug free life after leaving the treatment. The aim of this study was to gain more knowledge about how patients who were in the process of leaving, or who had left OMT, experienced the leaving process. Methods The study was based on a thematic analysis of transcripts from individual in-depth interviews with 24 patients who had experience with leaving the Norwegian OMT program. Results: The participants in this study had a strong motivation to endure a demanding substitution medication tapering process and leave the OMT program. The tapering benefited strongly from adaptive routines based on ongoing dialog between patients and service providers throughout the process, based on individualized goals and patient experiences each step on the way. The participants had varied experiences regarding the quality and relevance of the support and meeting the need for further treatment and services. Conclusions Given a high level of rehabilitation and good support, this study shows that some OMT program patients are in a good position to successfully leave the OMT program or continue the substitution treatment on a low dosage in a less OMT program-dominated life.
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spelling doaj-art-e7bf567863264fc6a2a5491272af72182025-08-20T02:08:19ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632024-11-0124111210.1186/s12913-024-11859-3Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiencesSverre Nesvåg0Per Bergqvist1Ingrid Elin Dahlberg2James R. McKay3Centre for Alcohol & Drug Research, Stavanger University HospitalCentre for Alcohol & Drug Research, Stavanger University HospitalCentre for Alcohol & Drug Research, Stavanger University HospitalPENN-TRI Centre on the Continuum of Care in the Addictions, University of PennsylvaniaAbstract Background Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) saves lives and makes it possible to start a process of health and social rehabilitation. Previous research shows that those who leave OMT after years of a drug free life and a reasonable level of health and social rehabilitation can have a good chance of living a stable drug free life after leaving the treatment. The aim of this study was to gain more knowledge about how patients who were in the process of leaving, or who had left OMT, experienced the leaving process. Methods The study was based on a thematic analysis of transcripts from individual in-depth interviews with 24 patients who had experience with leaving the Norwegian OMT program. Results: The participants in this study had a strong motivation to endure a demanding substitution medication tapering process and leave the OMT program. The tapering benefited strongly from adaptive routines based on ongoing dialog between patients and service providers throughout the process, based on individualized goals and patient experiences each step on the way. The participants had varied experiences regarding the quality and relevance of the support and meeting the need for further treatment and services. Conclusions Given a high level of rehabilitation and good support, this study shows that some OMT program patients are in a good position to successfully leave the OMT program or continue the substitution treatment on a low dosage in a less OMT program-dominated life.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11859-3Opioid maintenance treatmentLeaving OMTNorwayPatient experiences
spellingShingle Sverre Nesvåg
Per Bergqvist
Ingrid Elin Dahlberg
James R. McKay
Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
BMC Health Services Research
Opioid maintenance treatment
Leaving OMT
Norway
Patient experiences
title Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
title_full Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
title_fullStr Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
title_full_unstemmed Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
title_short Leaving the Norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program - patient experiences
title_sort leaving the norwegian opioid maintenance treatment program patient experiences
topic Opioid maintenance treatment
Leaving OMT
Norway
Patient experiences
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11859-3
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AT ingridelindahlberg leavingthenorwegianopioidmaintenancetreatmentprogrampatientexperiences
AT jamesrmckay leavingthenorwegianopioidmaintenancetreatmentprogrampatientexperiences