COVID-19 risk and outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: analyses from electronic health records in the United States

This article conducts a retrospective case-control study of electronic health records of individuals who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and have a recent diagnosis of substance use disorder (SUD). The results show that those diagnosed with SUD, particularly African Americans and those with opioid use disorder (OUD), are more likely to contract COVID-19, as well as suffer worsening outcomes such as hospitalization and mortality due to COVID-19. This article shows that an increase in SUD screening could be a factor in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in this community.

Resource Details

• Population: Black or African American|People With Substance Use Disorders
• Setting/Context of Implementation: Clinical
• Topics of Practice: Data Collection and Analysis
• Outcomes of Interest: Reduction of Health Disparities
• Level of Evidence: Promising
• Tools or Materials Included in Resource: No
• Social Determinants of Health: Healthcare Access and Quality
• Outside of US: No