Pathways for Emergency Department Providers

 

As an emergency healthcare provider, you play an important role in helping prevent overdose deaths in Rhode Island. On this page, you can find the most current data and resources to help you and your patients stay informed.

Pathways is a Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-funded project that aims to enhance post-overdose care at Rhode Island Emergency Departments (EDs) and hospitals. Pathways provides training resources for healthcare providers and nurses and offers technical support to all Rhode Island EDs.

Resources for Providers

Information for Providers – Access this page to find information about buprenorphine prescribing and other statewide programs that can help you deliver care to your patients.
Educational Tools – We also have additional resources, such as posters, videos, and pamphlets that are helpful for both providers and patients.

Learn about Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses offered through the Brown University Alpert Medical School:

Resources for your patients

Get Help – This page contains information about where to access different treatment options including buprenorphine and methadone in Rhode Island.
Get Naloxone – Access this page to find naloxone. You can use this page to learn how to use naloxone and how to get free naloxone as well.
Fentanyl Test Strips – Fentanyl test strips are used to detect fentanyl, a powerful opioid, in drugs. Patients can find out where to get these strips to avoid fentanyl overdoses.
Safer Drug Use Practices – For patients who want to continue to use drugs, this page contains helpful practices to reduce the harms associated with drug use.
Resources for People who use Drugs – In addition to safer drug use practices, we also have compiled a page showing where patients can access resources for safer drug use, such as syringes, works, testing, and test strips.

Data about hospitals in Rhode Island

Emergency Response Data – This page shows statewide opioid overdose data on the 48 Hour Reporting System and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) runs. You can use this page to see statewide trends over time.

Resources for yourself

Information for Staff & Providers – Access this page to find information about buprenorphine prescribing and other statewide programs that can help you deliver care to your patients.
Educational Tools for Staff & Providers – We also have additional resources, such as posters, videos, and pamphlets, that are helpful for both staff and providers as well as patients.

Informational videos

 


Words Matter – How providers speak to patients with substance use disorders is important. How staff & providers speak to patients with substance use disorders is important. The language used while talking to or about patients can reinforce the stigma that patients face. Use person-first language and avoid stigmatizing words. Watch this short educational video to learn more about how you can change your language to improve patient care.

Naloxone – Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a life-saving medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone is safe, works, and having it at home does not make someone more likely to use opioids. You can obtain naloxone from the ED, your local pharmacy, or through PreventOverdoseRI.org’s online ordering system.

Harm Reduction Strategies – Harm reduction recognizes that people may continue to use drugs, but that options exist to keep them safer.

Here on PreventOverdoseRI.org, you can find more resources for People Who Use Drugs as well as information about Safer Drug Use Practices.


Peer Recovery Support Specialists – Peer recovery support specialists, also known as “coaches,” play an invaluable role in recovery. They are people who have been successful in the recovery process and who help others experiencing similar situations. Peer recovery coaches help people become and stay engaged in the recovery process and reduce the risk of recurrent use.


Medication for Opioid Use Disorder – Buprenorphine is an important medication that can be used to treat opioid use disorder​. Initiating buprenorphine in the Emergency Department​ helps patients engage in treatment and reduce their risk of an opioid overdose.

Watch this short educational video on how you can start a patient on buprenorphine and call Rhode Island’s 24/7 Buprenorphine Hotline at 401-606-5456 if you have any questions.