ArticlePloS one2023
Emergency department experiences of people who use drugs who left or were discharged from hospital against medical advice.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Peer Support Workers to Improve Emergency Department Care Completion Among Patients Who Use Substances: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · 2026Article
- Article
- Accuracy of Patient-Reported Exposure to New Psychoactive Substances and Other Illicit Drugs in Australian Emergency Departments: Findings From the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- Patient-Directed Discharge Among Hospitalized Persons With Opioid Use Disorder in the Fentanyl Era: A Scoping Review.American journal of medicine open · 2026Review
- Examining nurses' attitudes toward patients who use substances in the hospital setting: A scoping review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Review
- Article
- Access to health and harm reduction services during drug decriminalization in British Columbia, Canada: a mixed-method study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- "It Eats My Heart": Identifying Knowledge Gaps in Injection Drug-Related Endocarditis Among Hospitalized Patients.Substance use & addiction journal · 2026Article
- The Role of Psychosocial Stressors in Shaping the Attitudes of Nurses in a Canadian Acute Care Hospital Toward Patients Who Use Substances: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of nursing management · 2026Article
- Healthcare utilization and perceived substance use-related stigma from healthcare workers among incarcerated women with opioid use disorder.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- Identifying Bias at Scale in Clinical Notes Using Large Language Models.Mayo Clinic proceedings. Digital health · 2025Article
- Amputation trends among people who use drugs in the context of Philadelphia's increasingly xylazine adulterated drug supply.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- On-site health service delivery models at syringe services programs in the United States: Results of a national cross-sectional survey.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2025Article
- Racial and Ethnic Factors and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment After an Emergency Department Visit.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- Creating safe, inclusive spaces for hospital-based health care staff and people who use drugs: an exploratory qualitative study in Vancouver, Canada.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Breaking the vicious cycle of delayed healthcare seeking for people who use drugs.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Physician perspectives on reducing harm and supporting emergency department patients who use drugs.PloS one · 2025Article
- Impact of Alternative Income Assistance Payment Schedules on Health and Social Service Access in Canada: Evidence from an Experimental Study.Journal of social service research · 2025Article
- Telehealth to increase healthcare access; perspectives of people who use drugs.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2024Article
- "Everybody looks at it as drug use instead of pain management": Experiences of chronic pain and its management among older people living with HIV who use drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPeople who use drugs (PWUD) frequent emergency departments at a higher rate than the general population, and experience a greater frequency of soft tissue infections, pneumonia, and chronic conditions such as, HIV/AIDs and hepatitis C. This population has distinct health care considerations (e.g. withdrawal management) and are also more likely to leave or be discharged from hospital against medical advice.
methodsThis study examines the experiences of PWUD who have left or been discharged from hospital against medical advice to understand the structural vulnerabilities that shape experiences with emergency departments. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 PWUD who have left or been discharged from hospital against medical advice within the past two years as part of a larger study on hospital care and drug use in Vancouver, Canada.
resultsFindings characterize the experiences and perceptions of PWUD in emergency department settings, and include: (1) stigmatization of PWUD and compounding experiences of discrimination; (2) perceptions of overall neglect; (3) inadequate pain and withdrawal management; and (4) leaving ED against medical advice and a lack of willingness to engage in future care.
conclusionsStructural vulnerabilities in ED can negatively impact the care received among PWUD. Findings demonstrate the need to consider how structural factors impact care for PWUD and to leverage existing infrastructure to incorporate harm reduction and a structural competency focused care. Findings also point to the need to consider how withdrawal and pain are managed in emergency department settings.
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Registered trials
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