Howโ One Doctor โIs Rethinking Addiction Care in Familyโ Medicine
Dr. โคAlyssa โTilhou,Research Director of Family Medicine at boston Medical โขCentreโ (BMC),is focused โon a โฃcritical question: what helps peopel consistently โฃand successfully engage with treatment โฃfor Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)? Her research centers on improving patient engagement,particularly with long-term medication-assisted treatment – โคa proven method for achieving stability โขand pursuing โbroader life goals.
Dr.โฃ Tilhou’s work is driven by a core โคbelief: researchโฃ must alignโ with what truly matters to both patients and clinicians. To that end, she and her team are โactively soliciting treatmentโ goals from both groups, recognizing that understanding thes perspectives is key to creating more meaningful and effective care.
“At the heart of my โresearchโ is the belief that we needโฃ to aim forโ the outcomes that matter most to patients,” Dr. Tilhou explains.”It isn’t enough to develop interventions that โwork in controlled researchโ settings if patients can’t access themโข in real-world settings or if the benefits aren’t a priority to patients. If weโข don’t ask people what they value, โฃwhy they think certain treatments are working, or whatโ success looks like to them, we riskโ targeting theโ wrong goals.”
A notable component of โฃher current research involves qualitative interviewsโฃ – directly listening to patients to understand their experiences. This approachโข ensures that interventions are designed with patient needs and priorities at the forefront. Dr. Tilhou notes that for most individuals with substance useโ disorder, the primary goals are avoidingโค overdose and breaking the cycle of drug use that interferes with their โฃlives. By โขhelping patients remain consistently on medications for OUD,her research aims toโค directly reduce overdose risk and facilitate broader improvements โฃin health โฃand well-being.
The impact of this researchโข extends beyond addiction treatment itself. In family medicine, โpatients often present with multiple health concerns. โคAchievingโข stability inโ substance use can create opportunities toโ address other health needs, such as preventive screenings, chronic condition management, and mental health care. Dr. Tilhou, as a practicing family doctor, has observed how medications like buprenorphine can open doors to โmore thorough care.
Ultimately, Dr.โ Tilhou’s goal is to โdevelop โsystems and strategies that simplify the โฃpath to treatment success and foster healthcare environments that support holistic well-being.Sheโ emphasizes the invaluable role of patientsโ as sourcesโค of โinsight, stating, “Patients understand their challenges and needs better than anyone. When we ground our research in their experiences and perspectives,we not onlyโ build trust but also create interventions โคthat are more effective and meaningful for patientsโฃ and their families.”

