Recommendations The following recommendations were developed by summarizing the collective experiences of participants shared during the town hall with the goal of optimizing care for people who use drugs in a hospital environment. [...] Reducing stigma and discrimination and the impact of prior hospital experiences Hospitals are a critical touchpoint for people who use drugs.8 Yet, stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes from healthcare professionals can lead to poor communication and a risk of overlooking the health concerns of people who use drugs resulting in delayed identification and diagnosis of health issues.9, 10 During. [...] Going forward, it was suggested that all hospital staff (including non-medical staff) be required to complete training and education in trauma-informed care, substance use and harm reduction, and on how to create stigma-free environments for people who use drugs to help improve their experiences and enable them to feel that they are in a supportive and non-judgmental space.13, 14 Furthermore, the. [...] Going forward, given the widespread and common challenges experienced by pregnant and parenting people who participated in this town hall, there is an urgent need to prioritize the creation and expansion of hospital programs that offer supportive, stigma-free care for parents who use substances and their newborns. [...] It was suggested that many people who use drugs will bring friends or family with them to the hospital to help advocate on their behalf, and that the availability of peer support workers or mentors in a hospital environment could act as a ‘positive point of contact’ to help increase people’s feelings of safety, encourage patient autonomy, and reduce staff stigma.23 Integration of accessible peer s.
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