Multidisciplinary perspectives on a new hospital addiction consult service: a mixed-methods study.
9 affiliations
- 1Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. [email protected].
- 2University of Pennsylvania Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, Philadelphia, PA, USA. [email protected].
- 3University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA. [email protected].
- 4Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 5University of Pennsylvania Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 6Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 7Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 8Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- 9University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract
Background
Hospital-based Addiction Consult Services (ACS) are increasingly implemented to improve care for patients with substance use disorders (SUD). While ACS are generally well-regarded, healthcare professionals of various roles may hold different perceptions of their impact.Methods
We conducted a web-based survey of physicians, advanced practice providers (APP), and nurses at a Philadelphia academic hospital from August-September 2024, 16 to 17 months after ACS implementation. The survey assessed attitudes and perceptions of the ACS with 6 questions using a 5-point Likert scale. These data were integrated with results from semi-structured interviews with physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and nurses from November 2023-January 2024, 7-9 months after ACS implementation, to provide a richer understanding of provider perspectives on the impact of the ACS. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the samples and analyzed survey data by healthcare professional group chi-squared tests. Interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results
Of 793 healthcare professionals surveyed, 311 responded (39%), including 128 nurses (41%), 108 resident physicians (35%), 49 attending physicians (16%), and 26 APPs (8%). Most providers reported that the ACS positively impacted patient care. Significantly fewer nurses reported perceived improvements in quality of care and communication compared to other healthcare professionals (43-63% nurses vs. 77-98% other healthcare professionals, p < 0.001, for 5 of 6 questions). While qualitative feedback was positive across groups, nursing interview narratives emphasized communication gaps, limited integration between nursing and the ACS, and a desire for additional training and education around SUD care.Conclusions
While most providers reported positive impacts of the Addiction Consult Service, nurses perceived fewer benefits than physicians and advanced practice providers. Qualitative findings suggest these differences stem from communication gaps, limited integration of nursing into ACS workflows, and barriers to SUD education. Implementation strategies that strengthen communication with bedside nurses and expand structured SUD education may improve multidisciplinary engagement and maximize the impact of ACS models.
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BibTeX
@article{davis2026multidisciplinary,
title = {{Multidisciplinary perspectives on a new hospital addiction consult service: a mixed-methods study.}},
author = {M Holliday Davis and Jessica Tolbert and Sarah Nessen and Amanda Perez and Korey Henderson and Bridget Durkin and Judy Chertok and Jeanmarie Perrone and Rachel French and Rachel McFadden and Ashish Thakrar and Samantha Huo and J Deanna Wilson and Shoshana Aronowitz and Margaret Lowenstein},
journal = {Addiction science \& clinical practice},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13722-026-00709-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43010053},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Multidisciplinary perspectives on a new hospital addiction consult service: a mixed-methods study.
AU - M Holliday Davis
AU - Jessica Tolbert
AU - Sarah Nessen
AU - Amanda Perez
AU - Korey Henderson
AU - Bridget Durkin
AU - Judy Chertok
AU - Jeanmarie Perrone
AU - Rachel French
AU - Rachel McFadden
AU - Ashish Thakrar
AU - Samantha Huo
AU - J Deanna Wilson
AU - Shoshana Aronowitz
AU - Margaret Lowenstein
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/12
JO - Addiction science & clinical practice
DO - 10.1186/s13722-026-00709-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/43010053
AB - Background Hospital-based Addiction Consult Services (ACS) are increasingly implemented to improve care for patients with substance use disorders (SUD). While ACS are generally well-regarded, healthcare professionals of various roles may hold different perceptions of their impact.Methods We conducted a web-based survey of physicians, advanced practice providers (APP), and nurses at a Philadelphia academic hospital from August-September 2024, 16 to 17 months after ACS implementation. The survey assessed attitudes and perceptions of the ACS with 6 questions using a 5-point Likert scale. These data were integrated with results from semi-structured interviews with physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and nurses from November 2023-January 2024, 7-9 months after ACS implementation, to provide a richer understanding of provider perspectives on the impact of the ACS. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the samples and analyzed survey data by healthcare professional group chi-squared tests. Interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results Of 793 healthcare professionals surveyed, 311 responded (39%), including 128 nurses (41%), 108 resident physicians (35%), 49 attending physicians (16%), and 26 APPs (8%). Most providers reported that the ACS positively impacted patient care. Significantly fewer nurses reported perceived improvements in quality of care and communication compared to other healthcare professionals (43-63% nurses vs. 77-98% other healthcare professionals, p < 0.001, for 5 of 6 questions). While qualitative feedback was positive across groups, nursing interview narratives emphasized communication gaps, limited integration between nursing and the ACS, and a desire for additional training and education around SUD care.Conclusions While most providers reported positive impacts of the Addiction Consult Service, nurses perceived fewer benefits than physicians and advanced practice providers. Qualitative findings suggest these differences stem from communication gaps, limited integration of nursing into ACS workflows, and barriers to SUD education. Implementation strategies that strengthen communication with bedside nurses and expand structured SUD education may improve multidisciplinary engagement and maximize the impact of ACS models.
SN - 1940-0632
SN - 1940-0640
ER -