Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment: In-Person Opioid Use Disorder Assessment Unnecessary for Treatment-Seeking Patients

Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment: In-Person Opioid Use Disorder Assessment Unnecessary for Treatment-Seeking Patients

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies permitted telehealth initiation of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) without in-person assessment. This prospective observational longitudinal cohort study found that participants with OUD had low rates of buprenorphine discontinuation for both in-person and telehealth care. This finding provides additional evidence that an in-person evaluation to receive buprenorphine may not be necessary for some patients.