The Hartford and The Yale School of Medicine are developing a new pilot program designed to better treat injured workers and curb the ongoing U.S. opioid crisis.

The insurer will be working specifically with the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine on a training program focused on addiction, pain management, and stigma for Connecticut medical providers who treat injured workers.

“The loss and suffering caused by the ongoing opioid crisis is heartbreaking, and now more than ever, it’s important that we all take action to dispel addiction stigma and engage with empathy,” The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift said in prepared remarks. “We know from our decades of experience that front-line clinicians play a critical role in preventing substance misuse and fostering treatment. That’s why we are honored to partner with an internationally-recognized innovator in addiction treatment on this new training, which will lead to better care for those in need.”

The Yale-PAM will develop the training that will help clinicians identify and treat acute pain, chronic pain, substance misuse, and substance and opioid use disorders among Connecticut workers. The training will be geared toward the use of person-centered and non-stigmatizing approaches to addressing pain and addiction and will focus on improved function, as well as a safe return to work.

Phase one of the pilot, which is underway now, includes developing the training modules and a compendium of clinically relevant resources. In phase two, slated for January to June 2022, the training will be delivered to a preliminary cohort of 50 to 100 Connecticut medical professionals, who treat workers with acute pain, living with chronic pain and/or a substance use disorder. In the final phase of the pilot, the modules will be updated based on the medical providers’ feedback, which is anticipated for the third quarter of 2022.

The Hartford also targets the ongoing opioid crisis in other ways, including through partnerships with non-profits Shatterproof and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Source: The Hartford