Issue link: https://kusm-wichita.uberflip.com/i/1024595
"It was like going back to psychology for me. I got to learn about conditioning and values and meaning." Opioid use disorder is currently the hottest topic in Warren's field. Warren will be part of a new ECHO program, which uses videoconferencing technology to educate and support physicians around the state in dealing with the problem. Rural areas, which tend to have more hazardous jobs and fewer options for medical treatment, are especially prone to high rates of opioid use disorder. Currently, Warren said, Kansas is not experiencing the catastrophic rates of opioid overdose abuse that has been noted in places such as rural West Virginia and Ohio. "This is not one of those places. It's certainly here but not as severe. I want it to stay that way." Indeed, that's one of the reasons he returned. "I care about Wichita. I grew up in Wichita. This is the place I know." He's also joined the Safe Streets Coalition, a community group formed to address drug and alcohol use problems in Wichita. "Medical treatment alone is not going to do it," he said. When a physician does treat addiction, Warren advocates a holistic approach that involves "all the other tools, whatever's available and appropriate: case management, mental health treatment, 12-step groups, inpatient treatment, medication treatment." Communication with the patient is key, and a physician who is capable of "removing judgment" from the conversation may be more effective. "I think that's one of the critical breakdown points." Thinking back to the young man he treated in Oregon, Warren noted that the behavior of patients suffering from addiction can certainly be self-destructive. "Even if it is," he said, "I can still care for them." With ECHO, community providers use video technology to participate in guided practice with specialist mentors. 8