title: IDU perspectives on the design and operation of North America's first medically supervised injection facility.
abstract: While the public health benefits of supervised injection facilities (SIFs) have been well documented, there is a lack of research examining the views of injection drug users (IDU) regarding the operation of these facilities. This study used 50 semistructured qualitative interviews to explore IDU perspectives on the design and operation of an SIF in Vancouver, Canada. Although the environment and operation of the SIF are well accepted, long wait times and limited operating hours, as well as regulations that prohibit sharing drugs and assisted injections, pose barriers to using the SIF. Modifying operating procedures and expanding the capacity of the current facility could address these barriers.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kerr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009656:North America; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*