With over 46 million people suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD), finding a SUD program to suit individual needs can be difficult.

Despite improvements in SUD treatment and a better understanding of the epidemic’s genesis, progress remains encumbered. SUD treatments are failing. A one-size-fits-all approach that is unaccommodating to individualized needs simply doesn’t work.

A broken treatment system

One of the many reasons America’s SUD treatment ecosystem has failed is due to a disconnected decision-making process that is designed solely to “systemize” and increase efficiency. SUD programs are expensive and inaccessible while some provide subpar treatment for a short amount of time due to insurance constraints. Research shows that the longer the treatment, the better the patient outcome.

Another barrier to patients seeking treatment is stigma, which often forestalls access and utilization to the addiction treatment care system. Examples include when people purchase Naloxone, asking a family member for a ride to treatment, or even when talking about addiction struggles with a friend. People suffering from substance use disorders lack personalized care that centers on their clinical and social needs. Wading through the myriad of rules, bureaucratic layers, and excessive processes surrounding healthcare is inexplicable especially in the context of the clinical and social barriers created from substance use disorders.

The impact of patient-centric SUD treatments

Without a holistic, patient-centric SUD program that’s well integrated with primary care, people will fall through the cracks. SUD treatment programs should be tailored specifically to the patient and the surrounding access needs. While mental health and primary care may be a core need, it presumes adequate transportation to and from treatment or picking up medications that help people through the recovery process. As a result, this gap needs to be addressed as part of the overall treatment plan. In the same regard, pairing a patient with an advocate, peer mentor, or personal quarterback is essential to finding the right resources, care, and access points that support persistent recovery rather than operating as a perfunctory checkpoint on a path to relapse.

Nomi Health is beginning to see the benefits of this approach through its Success Care program, a new and first-of-its-kind substance use disorder program that coordinates all services — health and non-health — into a single program providing comprehensive and integrated care. Dedicated peer specialists have been key to the program’s achievements. Individuals with shared and lived experiences who have overcome addiction can help patients in their unique SUD recovery journey.

Since Nomi Health’s Success Care program’s inception, it has experienced over 450% growth in patient visits. More importantly: 82% of patients have indicated that they have a high trust in the care they receive through the program, 80% of patients on medication assisted treatment are satisfied with their recovery progress, and 100% of peer support patients would recommend the service to others.

Nomi Health has learned that failing to look forward, acting proactively and aggressively, creates a ripple effect with a catastrophic impact on lives, deaths, and communities. Playing catchup doesn’t work. In fact, protraction is more costly than proactive action. If we want to solve this crisis in America, patient-centric care is that way to do it.

Learn more about the integrated and collaborative approach to substance use disorder treatment through Nomi Health’s Success Care program and see how a holistic and patient- focused approach can impact countless lives.

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Article written by Sara Ratner, President of Complex Care at Nomi Health.