The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Healthcare Infrastructure

Ethan O. Bryson; Christine E. Boxhorn

doi:10.1017/9781009256551.012

8 - The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Healthcare Infrastructure

from Part II - Recognizing That a Problem Exists

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2023

Ethan O. Bryson and

Christine E. Boxhorn

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Ethan O. Bryson: Affiliation:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Christine E. Boxhorn: Affiliation:
Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

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Summary

All countries are facing of dearth of medical resources. As more developed countries struggle with access to specialized care, their third-world counterparts are faced with a lack of healthcare workers, equipment, medication, and medical facilities. The opioid epidemic has exacerbated this issue by placing a significant strain on healthcare infrastructure worldwide, though these effects impact people in less developed countries to a much greater degree as most areas such as this have limited resources available to begin with. As the incidence of opioid-related health issues increases, the funds and personnel necessary to address them must come from somewhere. Resources diverted in this manner negatively impact other healthcare services, reducing access to preventative treatments, increasing wait times for access to care, and increasing the already high burden on healthcare professionals. If we remain reactive instead of proactive in our approach to disease management it becomes much more expensive and ultimately impacts everyone.

Keywords

healthcare infrastructure emergency room hospital intensive care unit ICU indirect cost

Type: Chapter
Information: The Opioid Epidemic
Origins, Current State and Potential Solutions
, pp. 94 - 104

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009256551.012 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2023

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References

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