Telemedicine Use and Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic

JAMA Network Open: Telemedicine Use and Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A study found that there were no significant differences in telemedicine and in-person opioid use disorder (OUD) care. This cohort study analyzed patients with OUD with commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage coverage. Results of this study revealed that clinical outcomes were similar among patients who were treated by clinicians with high and low telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that telemedicine is a comparable alternative to in-person OUD care. There was no evidence that telemedicine was associated with increased access to or improved quality of OUD treatment.