Telehealth and Medications Reduce Fatal Overdose Risk in Opioid Use Disorder During COVID-19
Originally Published 2 years ago — by National Institutes of Health (.gov)
A new study has found that the increased use of telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a lowered likelihood of fatal drug overdose among Medicare beneficiaries. The study highlights the need to expand access to telehealth services and medication treatment for opioid use disorder to address the constantly evolving overdose crisis. The authors note that only 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries in the pandemic cohort received OUD-related telehealth services, underscoring the need for continued expansion of these potentially life-saving interventions across clinical settings.