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LOUD in the Emergency Department
(LOUD in the ED) Collaborative

A provincial quality improvement initiative focused on ED care for people who use opioids.

We led LOUD in the ED in partnership with the Overdose Emergency Response Centre and the BC Center on Substance Use to shift how emergency departments care for people who use opioids.

This virtual Action Series included a combination of virtual learning, coaching, networking and local improvement actions from October 2020 – March 2021. Twenty-five teams from across the province engaged in learning and application of change ideas related to clinical practice, education, person- and provider-centred care and connections to the community. Participating teams also engaged with each other to share new learning and insights from their local improvement work.

Learn More About the LOUD in the ED Action Series
Learning about Opioid Use Disorder LOUD in the Emergency Department ED Cover

Learning About Opioid Use Disorder (LOUD) in the Emergency Department (ED) Final Report 2020/21

Learning about Opioid Use Disorder (LOUD) in the Emergency Department (ED) was a provincial initiative led in partnership between us, BC Centre on Substance Use and Overdose Emergency Response Centre with EDs across BC. This quality improvement initiative aimed to shift how EDs care for individuals with OUD. In the context of dual public health…
Download Learning About Opioid Use Disorder (LOUD) in the Emergency Department (ED) Final Report 2020/21

Frequently Asked Questions

LOUD in the ED stands for Learning about Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department. The name was chosen to encourage discussion and awareness about opioid use disorder (OUD) and to impact the quality and accessibility of OUD services in local emergency departments (EDs).

LOUD in the ED is a provincial initiative led by Health Quality BC in partnership with the Overdose Emergency Response Center and the BC Centre on Substance Use. Twenty-five teams will participate in a virtual action series from October 2020 to February 2021. During the initiative teams can expect the following:

LOUD in the ED aimed to improve the experience of OUD care for people and providers, and to reduce the morbidity and mortality for people with OUD in the ED by improving access to evidence-informed care. This includes access to buprenorphine-naloxone (Suboxone®).

The LOUD in the ED action series began in October 2020 and ended in March 2021.

Action Period 1

Learning Session 1: Recommended Clinical Decision SupportTuesday, October 6 @ 0800-1130
Coaching Call: Case StudyWednesday, October 21 @ 1000-1100
Coaching Call: Pharmacy & MicrodosingWednesday, October 28 @ 1330-1430

Action Period 2

Learning Session 2: Clinical Education & StrategiesThursday, November 5 @ 1100-1200
Coaching Call: Education StrategiesMonday, November 16 @ 1200-1300
Coaching Call: PPO Case StudyWednesday, November 24 @ 1000-1100

Action Period 3

Learning Session 3: Person- and Provider-Centred CareTuesday, December 1 @ 1200-1300
Coaching Call: Case Study – EQUIP in ActionWednesday, December 9 @ 1500-1600
Coaching Call: Communication & Community PrescribingTuesday, December 15 @ 1400-1500

Action Period 4

Learning Session 4: Connection ContinuumThursday, January 14 @ 0800-1130
Coaching Call: Remote/Rural versus Urban Perspectives on Transitions of CareThursday, January 28 @ 1200-1300

Action Period 5

Wrap Up & CelebrationWednesday, February 10 @ 1200-1300

Twenty-one percent of people with OUD have their first point of contact with the health care system in the ED – there is never a second chance to make a first impression. The ED setting provides a unique opportunity to connect with people who use drugs and intervene early. Many ED teams experience the effects of OUD on a daily basis and this initiative supported teams to provide evidence-based, quality care.

Applying best practice for people with OUD in the ED improves patient care and has the potential to reduce length of stay, readmission rates, and workload and burnout for staff.

Teams benefited from focused support, the opportunity to collaborate with, and learn from, other teams from across the province, and quality improvement training that can be applied to all areas of care you provide.

The LOUD in the ED Action Series combined opportunities for learning and networking with opportunities to apply change ideas at local sites. This included:

  • Five interactive webinars to teach and highlight tools for improving care in your ED;
  • Action periods following each webinar during which teams worked together to explore application of the new tools and translate ideas into practice;
  • Coaching calls to support team improvement efforts.

PWLLE are integral members and leaders in both the planning and action stages of the collaborative. Some of the faculty members were PWLLE, and additional PWLLE are being engaged in the development of resources and education. Participating teams were encouraged to have a PWLLE as part of their core team membership.

Please contact the LOUD in the ED project team at loud@healthqualitybc.ca.

Interested in future LOUD in the ED offerings?

If you’re interested in participating in future offerings of LOUD in the ED let us know by emailing us at loud@healthqualitybc.ca.