Beth E Meyerson, Alissa Davis, Benjamin R Brady, Gregory A Carter, Linnea B Linde-Krieger, Zhanette H Coffee, Arlene N Mahoney, David Frank, Richard A Crosby, Sara M Najar, Sana Yousaf, Patrick S Rivers
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: U.S. COVID-era methadone treatment flexibilities were made permanent through the federal "Final Rule." This study reports opioid treatment program (OTP) early adoption of expanded telehealth services and flexible dosing between the Final Rule's effective and compliance dates (April 2 and October 2, 2024).
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from June 21 to August 14, 2024, among a national convenience sample of 154 OTP administrators. Measures included Final Rule-allowed telehealth services, flexible dosing and clinic dosing requirements. Covariates included rurality, clinic type, state law expanding or limiting methadone access, and whether the clinic was in a county with an opioid overdose death rate exceeding the national median.
Results: Forty-four OTP administrators from 21 states completed surveys. Most (90.9%) offered COVID-era telehealth counseling, however expanded telehealth services were limited such as allowing initial health assessments (36.4%), health examinations by telehealth with medication pickup (22.7%), and initial medical examinations via telehealth (15.9%). Clinics required that 52.9% their patients complete daily in-clinic dosing. Multiday "take home" dosing options offered by clinics to over half their patients included 7-days of take-home doses during the first 14 treatment days (18.2% of clinics), 14-days of take-home doses after 15 days of treatment (18.2%), and 28 days of take-home doses after 30 days of treatment (15.9%).
Conclusions: Evidence of early adoption of the 2024 federal Final Rule (42 CFR §8) was not observed among most opioid treatment programs in this sample.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs began in 1940 as the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol. It was founded by Howard W. Haggard, M.D., director of Yale University’s Laboratory of Applied Physiology. Dr. Haggard was a physiologist studying the effects of alcohol on the body, and he started the Journal as a way to publish the increasing amount of research on alcohol use, abuse, and treatment that emerged from Yale and other institutions in the years following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. In addition to original research, the Journal also published abstracts summarizing other published documents dealing with alcohol. At Yale, Dr. Haggard built a large team of alcohol researchers within the Laboratory of Applied Physiology—including E.M. Jellinek, who became managing editor of the Journal in 1941. In 1943, to bring together the various alcohol research projects conducted by the Laboratory, Dr. Haggard formed the Section of Studies on Alcohol, which also became home to the Journal and its editorial staff. In 1950, the Section was renamed the Center of Alcohol Studies.
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