Receiving opioid use disorder-related telehealth care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was related to decrease odds of medically handled overdose and higher retention utilizing medicines like methadone and buprenorphine, in accordance with a examine revealed in JAMA Psychiatry.
The analysis used knowledge from Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries ages 18 and older who had obtained a prognosis for opioid use dysfunction primarily based on ICD-10 codes. It was divided into two teams: a prepandemic cohort of 105, 240 beneficiaries and a pandemic cohort of 70, 538.
Researchers discovered 19.6% of beneficiaries within the pandemic group obtained OUD-related telehealth companies throughout the examine interval, in contrast with solely 0.6% of sufferers within the prepandemic cohort. They had been additionally extra prone to entry behavioral health-related digital care at 41%, in contrast with 1.9% within the prepandemic group. Moreover, 12.6% of pandemic beneficiaries accessed medicines for OUD, like methadone, buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone, in contrast with 10.8% of the prepandemic beneficiaries.
Although the proportion who skilled a medically handled overdose was comparable in each teams, the examine discovered receiving OUD-related telehealth was related to elevated odds of constant to make use of medicines for OUD and lowered odds of overdose.
“Use of telehealth throughout the pandemic was related to improved retention in care and decreased odds of medically handled overdose, offering assist for everlasting adoption,” the examine’s authors wrote. “Methods to broaden provision of MOUD [medications for opioid use disorder], enhance retention in care and tackle co-occurring bodily and behavioral well being situations are urgently wanted within the context of an escalating overdose disaster.”
WHY IT MATTERS
Although telehealth did enhance entry to medicines for OUD, the researchers famous that solely a small portion of sufferers obtained medicines on 80% or extra of eligible days.
In addition they discovered racial inequities in entry to care. Non-Hispanic African American beneficiaries had decrease odds of receiving OUD or behavioral health-related telehealth companies and decrease odds for remedy retention. The examine additionally discovered increased odds of overdose amongst sufferers who had been non-Hispanic African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander.
Nonetheless, researchers mentioned their examine demonstrates telehealth might be an vital strategy to ship care to folks battling opioid use dysfunction.
“The growth of telehealth companies for folks with substance use problems throughout the pandemic has helped to handle obstacles to accessing medical take care of habit all through the nation which have lengthy existed,” Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse and senior creator of the examine, mentioned in a press release. “Telehealth is a helpful service and, when coupled with medicines for opioid use dysfunction, may be lifesaving. This examine provides to the proof displaying that expanded entry to those companies may have a longer-term optimistic impression if continued.”
THE LARGER TREND
The opioid epidemic continues to be a serious problem for public well being. According to the CDC, overdose deaths involving opioids elevated from an estimated 70,029 in 2020 to 80,816 in 2021.
Initially of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration loosened rules to permit suppliers to prescribe managed substances, like medicines for opioid use dysfunction, with out assembly with sufferers in particular person throughout the public well being emergency.
The PHE was extended again earlier this summer time. Well being and Human Providers Secretary Xavier Becerra has promised to offer suppliers 60 days’ discover earlier than it expires.
