Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Finds Addiction-Focused Peer Support Program Reduces Readmissions

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) found that its addiction-focused peer support pilot program reduces readmissions among consumers with conditions complicated by addiction disorders. Additionally, WFBMC reported in April 2018 that the peer support program was also linked to a reduction in the number of people who left the hospital against medical advice. The baseline and improvement statistics have not been released because the pilot is still under evaluation.

WFBMC launched the program in July 2017 by adding four peer support specialists (PSS) to its addiction counseling team, and embedding them in its emergency department and two medical units . . .