Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29673369›Full record

ArticleSubstance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy2018

Challenges in implementing opioid agonist therapy in Lebanon: a qualitative study from a user's perspective.

Ali Ghaddar, Sanaa Khandaqji, Zeinab Abbass

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ali GhaddarDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon. ali.ghaddar@liu.edu.lb.
Sanaa KhandaqjiDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Zeinab AbbassDepartment of Narcotics, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOpioid agonist therapy (OAT) has been implemented for the treatment of individuals with opioid use disorders in Lebanon since 2011, but has not been evaluated yet. The aim of the study is to describe the implementation of the first pilot OAT program in Lebanon from the users' perspective.

methodsData collectors gathered data from male participants during June 2016-July 2016. Eighty-one out of 94 patients agreed to participate in the study. Data regarding access to treatment, satisfaction with the treatment protocol and treatment outcomes, patient-provider relationship, and misuse and diversion was collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Data saturation was reached after 81 interviews; once no new themes were reported.

resultsFindings showed inequalities in access to treatment and showed that OAT improved mental and social wellbeing among users who had financial access and complied with the program protocols. Registering in the program protected users from arrest and reduced their economic burden. Among the main encountered challenges were fear of dependence to buprenorphine, restricted geographical access to treatment, misuse and diversion of buprenorphine.

conclusionResults implicate inequalities in access to OAT as one important gap to be tackled in the management of OAT in Lebanon. Further research should be done in order to understand the challenges in the implementation of the program from the providers' perspectives.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth Services AccessibilityOpiate Substitution TreatmentAdolescentAdultBuprenorphineDrug UsersHumansLebanonMaleMethadoneOpioid-Related DisordersQualitative ResearchYoung AdultBuprenorphineMethadoneBuprenorphineLebanonOpioid substitution therapyQualitative

Identifiers

PMID29673369
PMCPMC5909215

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.