The expansion of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic led to more patients seeking out substance use treatment and lowered the likelihood of opioid-related overdose, a study published Aug. 31 in JAMA Psychiatry found.
A group of researchers analyzed patient data of 175,778 adult Medicare beneficiaries before the pandemic from September 2018 to February 2020 and during the pandemic from September 2019 to February 2021 to treat substance use disorder.
The data showed that when telehealth treatment was expanded and permitted for behavioral health services, the rates of patients seeking out treatment for substance use disorder improved, and the odds of medically-induced overdose were lowered.