New program guides hospital patients to opioid treatment, aims to cut readmissions

This study tested a patient navigation program called NavSTAR, which helps people with opioid use disorder get connected to treatment after they leave the hospital. The goal was to see if this program could be successfully implemented across four hospitals in Philadelphia to help more people start treatment, reduce return trips to the hospital, and be cost-effective. The research involved piloting the program with 32 participants and gathering feedback from patients and hospital staff to create a sustainable plan for wider use.