Treatment Initiation and Outcomes Associated With Receipt of Emergency Department-Based Peer Support Following Opioid Overdose.

This study examined the impact of the New Jersey Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP), an emergency department-based peer recovery support service. Using Medicaid claims data, the researchers compared outcomes between OORP participants and a matched group of non-participants. Key findings include higher rates of medication-assisted treatment initiation, greater medication adherence, and increased psychosocial treatment engagement among OORP participants. The program was also associated with reduced all-cause acute care utilization, though the impact on repeat overdose was not statistically significant. These results highlight the potential of peer-led interventions to improve treatment engagement and outcomes following opioid overdose, offering a promising approach to address the ongoing public health crisis.