Mortality and Readmission in Opioid Patients: Associations with Comorbid Disorders and Treatment Adherence

Aim Analyze risk factors for treatment readmission and mortality among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Methods A retrospective, multicenter study analyzed a cohort of 16,343 patients treated at 124 public outpatient treatment centers for substance use disorders in Spain, by using a recurrent-event survival analysis with terminal events. Results Factors increasing the likelihood of treatment readmission included having a child, opioid use within 30 days prior to admission, comorbid cannabis, cocaine, or alcohol use disorder, and mental disorders (cluster B, psychotic, and anxiety disorders). Risk factors for death included drug injection, HIV diagnosis, comorbid alcohol use disorder, and cluster B personality disorders. While treatment adherence was not associated with the probability of death, it was associated with a reduction in the probability of treatment readmission. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of tailoring treatment guidelines to meet the needs of these high-risk patients. Using re-Reg analysis, the study provides a comprehensive profile of patients at greater risk, aiding in the identification of those needing additional treatment resources.