John Gazewood, MD
John Gazewood, MD, a family medicine physician, was featured locally and nationally on TV stations discussing innovative methods to improve opioid-use disorder screening.
Recent drug overdose statistics reveal that, on average, seven Virginians die from drug overdoses each day, with nearly 80% of these involving fentanyl and other opioids. In response to this crisis, UVA Health is collaborating with BEAM, a behavioral health company based in Roanoke, to introduce a new opioid-use disorder assessment called Beacon OUD.
“Having a tool that could easily screen for those patients and identify them as having an opioid use disorder would be very helpful in getting them the treatment they need,” said Dr. Gazewood. He explains the process, saying they first identify patients who might be at risk for opioid use disorder and inquire if they are interested in participating in a study. A research assistant then administers the test, which involves answering a series of questions on an iPad, followed by an interview with additional questions.
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