Why do so many doctors and nurses avoid treating patients with addiction?
Summary
NPR’s Brian Mann investigates the systemic failure to treat addiction in US hospitals, highlighted by the death of John Descamp in Oregon. Despite effective treatments like buprenorphine, stigma and inadequate medical training lead clinicians to deny care to patients with substance use disorders. Experts argue that this bias results in preventable deaths, as fewer than one in five people needing help receive medical treatment.
Topics discussed
Intro: Why doctors avoid treating addiction patients
Promos for Up First, Life Kit, and It's Been a Minute
Case study: Jean Descamp's fatal overdose in ER
National data on lack of addiction treatment access
Stigma and bias among healthcare workers
Lack of consequences and need for medical training
Outro and promos for Here and Now and Shortwave
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