Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37003538›Full record

ArticleJournal of substance use and addiction treatment2023

Impact of changes to the delivery of opioid agonist treatment, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, on treatment access and dropout in Ireland: An interrupted time series analysis.

Louise Durand, Fiona Boland, Norma Harnedy, Íde Delargy, Mike Scully, Margaret Bourke, William Ebbitt, María Otero Vázquez, Eamon Keenan, Gráinne Cousins

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Louise DurandSchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 D02 VN51, Ireland. Electronic address: louisedurand@rcsi.com.
Fiona BolandRCSI Data Science Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower, Dublin 2 D02 DH60, Ireland. Electronic address: fionaboland@rcsi.com.
Norma HarnedyHSE Addiction Services, PO Box 486, Corporate House, Mungret Street, Limerick V94 PV34, Ireland. Electronic address: NormaM.Harnedy@hse.ie.
Íde DelargyIrish College of General Practitioners, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2 D02 XR68, Ireland. Electronic address: ide.delargy@icgp.ie.
Mike ScullyNational Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2 D02 NY26, Ireland. Electronic address: mike.scully1@hse.ie.
Margaret BourkeAddiction Services, CHO 7. 37 Castle Street, Dublin 2 D02 H773, Ireland. Electronic address: Margaret.bourke@hse.ie.
William EbbittNational Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2 D02 NY26, Ireland. Electronic address: williamh.ebbitt1@hse.ie.
María Otero VázquezUISCE, 8 Cabra road, Dublin 7 D07 T1W2, Ireland. Electronic address: maria@myuisce.org.
Eamon KeenanNational Social Inclusion Office, HSE Primary Care Division, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 D20 KH63, Ireland. Electronic address: eamon.keenan@hse.ie.
Gráinne CousinsSchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 D02 VN51, Ireland. Electronic address: gcousins@rcsi.ie.
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland · IEHealth Service Executive · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollowing the emergence of COVID-19, Ireland introduced national contingency guidelines to ensure rapid and uninterrupted access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT). This study aims to assess the impact of changes introduced to the delivery of OAT on the number of people accessing treatment and treatment dropout.

methodsThe study conducted interrupted time series analyses, with separate segmented regression models (March 2019-February 2020) vs (April 2020-March 2021), for (A) total number of people accessing OAT, (B) the number initiating treatment, and (C) the number dropping out of treatment, using data from the National OAT treatment register. The study examined immediate (change in level or intercept: β

resultsA total of 10,251 people accessed OAT in Ireland in March 2019 (2 % buprenorphine, n = 178), increasing to 11,441 (4 % buprenorphine, n = 471) in March 2021. The study observed an immediate (β

conclusionsChanges introduced to the delivery of OAT, under the COVID-19 contingency guidelines, are associated with increased access to OAT in Ireland, with no evidence of increase in treatment dropout. Whether these effects will be maintained over time remains to be seen.

Indexed as

BuprenorphineCOVID-19Opioid-Related DisordersAdultAnalgesics, OpioidHumansInterrupted Time Series AnalysisIrelandOpiate Substitution TreatmentPandemicsAnalgesics, OpioidBuprenorphineAddiction servicesCOVID-19Drug policyInterrupted time seriesOpioid agonist treatmentPublic health

Identifiers

PMID37003538
PMCPMC10063453
OpenAlexW4361841121

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.