National Institutes of Health (NIH): Telehealth Supports Retention in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

National Institutes of Health (NIH): Telehealth Supports Retention in Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Starting buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder through telehealth was associated with an increased likelihood of staying in treatment longer compared to starting treatment in a non-telehealth setting. A study analyzing Medicaid data from 2019-2020 in Kentucky and Ohio found that receiving buprenorphine treatment via telehealth was not associated with an increased likelihood of nonfatal overdose, providing additional evidence to suggest that patients were not harmed by having increased access to buprenorphine treatment through telemedicine. This study suggests that telehealth may increase treatment access and retention, strengthening the evidence that receiving addiction care through telehealth is to be safe and beneficial, and that it should be made available to those who need it.