Groups Recover Together
By Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick
Twitter: @drnic1
Host of Dr. Nick: The Incrementalist – #TheIncrementalist
On this episode I spoke to Gus Crothers, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Groups Recover Together (find out more here) who have focused on solving the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Gus’ journey to this role is interesting as he described his ‘beginner’s mindset’ that allowed him to see the opioid epidemic with fresh eyes and question the underlying trajectory and what was happening to our patients, as he describes it
I didn’t watch the guidelines kind of get published incrementally…creeping the dosage up, I just landed right there where it was causing so many problems that it was impossible to ignore
Looking back the turning point in the perception of a problem took place when the opiate or drug overdose deaths surpassed car accidents as a cause of death in the US.
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Addiction is a Solution to a Problem
We discuss some of the underlying causes to the opioid epidemic – there is no smoking gun but rather plenty of problems and faults throughout the system and as Gus highlights – to get to the root cause you have to start with the understanding that
Addiction is a Solution to a Problem
It may not be the right problem being solved but it was the attempt to solve problems that got us into this mess.
We discuss the impact of COVID19 has had on the epidemic – probably not a surprise but things have gotten worse with more people dying from overdoses, but the good news is they have solutions that work that importantly involves much more than law enforcement because as Gus points out you “cannot arrest your way out of this epidemic”.
Listen in to hear about their successful group therapy path that is filled with hope and potential that builds on solutions that we know are highly effective
- Medications
- Counseling and
- Peer support
You will hear how their success has been built in a virtual world, one that was initially cobbled together but is now based on a new platform they built specifically for the purpose. Oftentimes we find digital solutions amplify the disparities of access and inequities but they have found their community has been part of the solution with individuals helping others to navigate these challenges.
About the Show
For years Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick, has served as a voice on the impact of new technologies on healthcare, earning a reputation as a leading authority on where the future of medicine is going. Combining powers of observation and real world experience, Dr. Nick has seen many predictions come true and makes the case that innovations in healthcare can be accomplished incrementally, not just by moonshot events. Tune in to hear Dr. Nick: The Incrementalist and his guests discuss what the future of healthcare looks like, how we will get there, and what it will take to improve healthcare for all.
This article was originally published on the Dr. Nick – The Incrementalist blog and is republished here with permission.