Table 1:
Baseline characteristics of clients in safer opioid supply program and matched unexposed group
| Characteristic | No. (%)* of clients in SOS program at LIHC (n = 82) | No. (%)* of matched unexposed individuals (n = 303; weighted n = 82)† | Weighted standardized difference† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yr; mean ± SD‡ | 40.8 ± 10.6 | 40.6 ± 5.5 | 0.01 |
| Male sex‡ | 33 (40.2) | 33.0 (40.2) | 0.00 |
| Income quintile‡ | |||
| 1 (lowest) | 57 (69.5) | 57.0 (69.5) | 0.00 |
| 2 | 12 (14.6) | 12.0 (14.6) | 0.00 |
| 3 | 9 (11.0) | 9.0 (11.0) | 0.00 |
| 4§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | 0.00 |
| 5 (highest)§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | 0.00 |
| Eligible for public drug benefits‡ | 71 (86.6) | 71 (86.6) | 0.00 |
| Diagnosis of HIV | 28 (34.1) | 6.3 (7.6) | 0.69 |
| Diagnosis of hepatitis C | 57 (69.5) | 20.8 (25.3) | 0.99 |
| Previous mental health–related or substance use hospital visit¶ (1 yr) | 20 (24.4) | 15.0 (18.3) | 0.15 |
| Anxiety disorders§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | < 0.10 |
| Deliberate self-harm§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | < 0.10 |
| Mood disorder§ | 0 (0.00) | ≤ 5 | > 0.10 |
| Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | < 0.10 |
| Substance use disorders | 15 (18.3) | 7.8 (9.5) | 0.26 |
| Other§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | < 0.10 |
| ED visit or hospital admission for opioid toxicity (1 yr)‡ | 7 (8.5) | 7.0 (8.5) | 0.00 |
| Inpatient hospital admission for any infection (1 yr) | 23 (28.0) | 9.3 (11.3) | 0.43 |
| Infective endocarditis§ | ≤ 5 | ≤ 5 | 0.00 |
| Skin and soft-tissue infection§ | 15 (18.3) | ≤ 5 | > 0.10 |
| Osteomyelitis, septic arthritis or spinal infection | 9 (11.0) | 7.3 (8.8) | 0.07 |
| Dispensed opioid agonist therapy (1 yr) | 50 (61.0) | 50.0 (61.0) | 0.00 |
| Dispensed methadone | |||
| Past 30 days | 25 (30.5) | 34.8 (42.4) | 0.25 |
| Past 365 days | 42 (51.2) | 41.3 (50.3) | 0.02 |
| Past 5 years | 60 (73.2) | 63.5 (77.4) | 0.10 |
| Dispensed buprenorphine-naloxone | |||
| Past 30 days | 6 (7.3) | 5.5 (6.7) | 0.02 |
| Past 365 days | 15 (18.3) | 10.3 (12.5) | 0.16 |
| Past 5 years | 23 (28.0) | 18.5 (22.6) | 0.13 |
| Dispensed immediate-release hydromorphone (90 d) | 28 (34.1) | 7.0 (8.5) | 0.66 |
| Dispensed long-acting hydromorphone (90 d)§ | 8 (9.8) | ≤ 5 | > 0.10 |
| Dispensed any opioid (90 d) | 52 (63.4) | 54.5 (66.5) | 0.06 |
| Dispensed benzodiazepines (30 d)§ | ≤ 5 | 7.0 (8.5) | > 0.10 |
| No. of physician visits (1 yr), mean ± SD | 24.50 ± 22.45 | 24.96 ± 10.15 | 0.02 |
| No. of emergency department visits (1 yr), mean ± SD | 3.28 ± 3.36 | 2.23 ± 2.54 | 0.25 |
| No. of inpatient hospital admissions (1 yr), mean ± SD | 0.95 ± 1.34 | 0.42 ± 0.57 | 0.44 |
Note: ED = emergency department, LIHC = London InterCommunity Health Centre, SD = standard deviation, SOS = safer opioid supply.
*
Unless otherwise indicated.
†
Counts and standardized differences weighted on number of unexposed individuals matched to each client in SOS program.
‡
Matching criteria.
§
Censored according to privacy requirements for cell sizes smaller than 6. Accordingly, weighted standardized differences are suppressed to prevent residual disclosure.
¶
Can be ED visit or inpatient stay in a mental health hospital or a mental health bed in an acute hospital.