From Research to Action: Advancing Harm Reduction in Substance Use Treatment

Across the country, health systems are grappling with the rising toll of injection-related infections and drug-related harms. Hospitalizations for conditions like infective endocarditis — a life-threatening heart infection that can result from injection drug use — have risen sharply. A recent qualitative study I co-authored, published in Substance Use & Addiction Journal, highlights how limited public health messaging about bacterial infections leaves people who use drugs without the information they need to protect themselves. While most are familiar with the risks of HIV and hepatitis C, few understand how injection-related infections like endocarditis occur or how to prevent them.

This gap has real consequences: avoidable hospitalizations, rising health care costs, and preventable deaths. It underscores the urgent need to embed harm reduction into the full continuum of care for substance use disorders (SUD). Taking a harm reduction approach means engaging patients in ways to mitigate harms related to substance use, with a focus on decreasing the risk of overdose or infectious disease transmission.

States have been increasingly recognizing and promoting models of care that incorporate harm reduction principles within their SUD treatment systems. Aurrera Health Group has supported these efforts by partnering with state agencies to design and facilitate convenings, including regional summits and learning collaboratives focused on operationalizing harm reduction across the SUD care continuum. This work emphasizes meeting individuals where they are, reducing barriers to care, and expanding access to treatment and support services grounded in evidence-based, person-centered approaches. Aurrera Health Group helps implement policies that make harm reduction a foundational part of delivering high-quality care. To learn more about our work in this area, contact Kelly Murphy.

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Author

Kate Roberts [Deputy Director]