Nurse-Led Physical Screening of Patients With Substance Use Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Somatic comorbidity is the main cause of reduced life expectancy in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Aim: This study aims to investigate somatic health challenges in patients with SUDs using the USS. Patient self-management of somatic health and quality of life were also assessed. Method: In our study, a stratified random sample of 136 clients who received treatment at a specialist addiction facility was drawn to investigate their physical health and lifestyle behaviours using the Utrecht Somatic Screening 2.0 (USS 2.0). The sample included three subgroups, that is, patients receiving outpatient treatment through Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT), Heroin-Assisted Treatment (HAT) and Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT). Pain, self-management and quality of life were also measured. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: The findings indicate that many patients experience a large number of somatic health problems, including pain and exhaustion. The most prevalent conditions in this study are cardiovascular disease (25%) and COPD (20%), underweight and poor oral health. Tobacco smoking is prevalent among 88% of patients. Fifty percent of the patients expressed a need for support in managing their physical health. Implications for Practice: Somatic health care and lifestyle promotion should be tailored to the specific characteristics of patients. Conclusion: Patients with SUDs suffer from poor physical health and show unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, which demand the promotion of tailored somatic health.