- A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that the expanded use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a reduced risk of opioid overdoses. Federal researchers compared two cohorts of Medicare beneficiaries before and during the pandemic and found that more people during the pandemic had access to treatments like methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone and had lower odds of having to be treated for overdoses. The study also revealed some inequities, namely beneficiaries who were Black or lived in the South were less likely to receive telehealth services. (Study here; Articles here and here)
September 1, 2022
Opioid/Substance Use Disorders