Medscape October 20, 2023
TOPLINE:
Starting treatment with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) via telehealth is associated with longer retention in treatment compared with starting treatment in-person, new research suggests.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analyzed Medicaid claims data from November 2019 through the end of 2020 in Kentucky and Ohio to investigate the impact of a policy change implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed the use of telehealth to prescribe buprenorphine for OUD.
The two main outcomes of interest were retention in treatment after initiation (telehealth vs traditional) and opioid-related nonfatal overdose after initiation.
TAKEAWAY:
For both states combined, nearly 92,000 adults had a buprenorphine prescription in at least one quarter in 2020, with nearly 43,000...
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