Discontinuing Telehealth Options Could Increase OUD Treatment Disruptions
A new study of Veterans Health Administration patients receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the year following the implementation of COVID-19-related telehealth policies suggests discontinuing or reducing access to care by phone may disrupt treatment for many patients, especially among groups with access disparities.
Findings from the study were published on JAMA Network Open.
The cross-sectional study included 17,182 patients who received buprenorphine for OUD between March 23, 2020, and March 22, 2021. Among the patient population, 41.3% were between the ages of 30 and 44, and 36.4% were between the ages of 45 and 64. The study population was predominantly male (92.2%), White (82%), and non-Hispanic (94.8%).
Overall, 38.1% of patients had at least 1 video-based visit, 49.6% had at least 1 visit by phone (no video), and 12.3% had only in-person visits. The study also uncovered the following findings:
- Patients who were younger, male, nonwhite, non-service connected, or had specific mental health/substance use comorbidities were less likely to receive any telehealth-based care.
- Retention was higher for patients using telehealth-based interventions compared to those who received only in-person treatment, regardless of treatment initiation time.
- Among patients who initiated treatment in the year following the onset of the pandemic, higher retention was observed among those with video visits than those who used only phone-based services.
“People with opioid and other addictions already face so many barriers to care and some sub-groups face additional disparities,” Allison Lin, MD, addiction psychiatrist and senior author of the study, said in a news release. “It’s really important to have as many options as possible, including phone and video, to make it easier for patients to engage in care.”
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