Original research
by
Samuels, Elizabeth A. et al
Release Date
2022
Geography
USA
Language of Resource
English
Full Text Available
Yes
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Yes
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Objective
Audiovisual telehealth has been shown to be effective for buprenorphine maintenance treatment prior to COVID-19, but use of telehealth for buprenorphine treatment initiation, and the use of audio-only telehealth for either treatment initiation or maintenance, are not yet well described.
Findings/Key points
Tele-buprenorphine—even when delivered primarily via audio—presents an important opportunity to expand treatment access. Research about telehealth conducted during COVID-19 has shown that individuals who are Black, Latinx/Hispanic, older, lower income, and female are less likely to use video-based telehealth services. Efforts aimed at improving OUD treatment access by telehealth which require a video interface may inadvertently perpetuate existing inequities in treatment access by geography, race, and income. Longer-term outcomes research is needed to evaluate audio-only versus video-based telehealth and in-person visits, but these data show that it is a promising low-barrier strategy to improve treatment access.
Design/methods
Retrospective cohort study of patients receiving tele-buprenorphine from March to June 2020 at four clinics affiliated with academic medical centers in New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Rhode Island
Keywords
Equity
About prescribers
Substitution/OAT
Digital health
