Observational studyJournal of substance use and addiction treatment2024
Buprenorphine discontinuation in telehealth-only treatment for opioid use disorder: A longitudinal cohort analysis.
Observational study in Journal of substance use and addiction treatment, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03224858 (Does a Clinic Based Complex Care Coordination Intervention Improve Patient Quality Outcomes in an Underserved Clinic Population? The Streamlined, Unified, Meaningfully Managed Interdisciplinary Team), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Does a Clinic Based Complex Care Coordination Intervention Improve Patient Quality Outcomes in an Underserved Clinic Population? The Streamlined, Unified, Meaningfully Managed Interdisciplinary Team (SUMMIT) Ambulatory ICU Study
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Life-skills training program: its effect on self-efficacy among patients with substance use disorders.BMC psychology · 2026Trial
- Retention in Telehealth-Delivered Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Multistate Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Telehealth and Intervention Stigma: Patient Perspectives About Flexible Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Delivery.Substance use & addiction journal · 2026Article
- Brief Addiction Monitor-Taiwan version as a simple tool for the measurement-based care of people who use drugs in the era of harm reduction: predictive validity in prospective follow-ups of patients nationwide.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2026Article
- Characterizing app-based telemedicine for opioid use disorder treatment within the landscape of recovery-related smartphone applications.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2026Article
- Real-world effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment and psychotherapy for opioid use disorder: a national multi-health care organization analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Subgroup identification of disparities in buprenorphine discontinuation in opioid-use disorder: A Virtual Twins machine learning approach using nationwide United States claims data, 2006-2022.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionAt the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies permitted telehealth initiation of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) without in-person assessment. It remains unclear how telehealth-only buprenorphine treatment impacts time to discontinuation and patient reported treatment outcomes.
methodsA longitudinal observational cohort study conducted September 2021 through March, 2023 enrolled participants with OUD initiating buprenorphine (≤ 45 days) with internet and phone access in Oregon and Washington. The intervention was a fully telehealth-only (THO) app versus treatment as usual (TAU) in office-based settings with some telehealth. We assessed self-reported buprenorphine discontinuation at 4-,12-, and 24-weeks. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) calculated unadjusted and adjusted relative risk ratios (RR) for discontinuation averaged over the study period. Secondary outcomes included change in the Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM) and the visual analogue craving scale. Generalized linear models estimated average within-group and between-group differences over time.
resultsParticipants (n = 103 THO; n = 56 TAU) had a mean age of 37 years (SD = 9.8 years) and included 52 % women, 83 % with Medicaid insurance, 80 % identified as White, 65 % unemployed/student, and 19 % unhoused. There were differences in gender (THO = 54 % women vs. TAU = 44 %, p = .04), unemployed status (60 % vs 75 %, p = .02), and stable housing (84 % vs 73 %, p = .02). Rates of buprenorphine discontinuation were low in the THO (4 %) and TAU (13 %) groups across 24 weeks. In the adjusted analysis, the risk of discontinuation was 61 % lower in the THO group (aRR = 0.39, 95 % CI [0.17, 0.89], p = .026). Decreases occurred over time on the harms subscale of the BAM (within-group difference - 0.85, p = .0004 [THO], and - 0.68, p = .04 [TAU]) and cravings (within-group difference - 13.47, p = .0001 [THO] vs -7.65, p = .01 [TAU]).
conclusionsA telehealth-only platform reduced the risk of buprenorphine discontinuation compared to office-based TAU. In-person evaluation to receive buprenorphine may not be necessary for treatment-seeking patients. CLINICAL TRIALS IDENTIFIER: NCT03224858.
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