TY - JOUR
T1 - Adapting a Low-threshold Buprenorphine Program for Vulnerable Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
AU - Nordeck, Courtney D.
AU - Buresh, Megan
AU - Krawczyk, Noa
AU - Fingerhood, Michael
AU - Agus, Deborah
N1 - Funding Information:
Behavioral Health Leadership Institute Project Connections operations were supported by grants from the Abell Foundation, Open Society Institute – Baltimore, Carefirst Community Foundation, the Krieger Fund, Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore, Maryland Department of Health, and Purdue Pharma LP. Ms. Nordeck was also supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32DA007292.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - Objectives:To examine patient characteristics and outcomes among opioid use disorder patients enrolled in low-threshold buprenorphine treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:This paper describes the adaptation of the Project Connections (PC) program, a low-threshold buprenorphine program in Baltimore, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines patient characteristics and initial outcomes of patients served during a rapid protocol shift to telehealth that allowed buprenorphine initiation without an in-person encounter following a state-mandated stay-at-home order. Patient characteristics were compared to a subsample of patients enrolled in the program before the COVID-19 pandemic.Results:In March 2020, there was a sharp increase in new enrollments to the PC program. A total of 143 patients completed an intake assessment between March and May 2020 and 140 began treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone. Those who completed an intake assessment were primarily male (68.5%), Black (83.2%), had a mean age of 43.2 years (SD = 11.7), and reported a mean of 17.0 years of opioid use (SD = 12.9). The majority of patients were unemployed (72.7%) and reported previous criminal justice involvement (69.2%). Of those who completed an intake assessment, 96.5% returned for a second visit. Among those for whom 30-day retention data was available (n = 113), 63.7% were engaged for 30 days or longer.Conclusions:The PC program illustrates that offering on-demand, flexible treatment is an opportunity to increase opioid use disorder treatment access, even during a public health emergency that disrupted access to services. Relaxation of buprenorphine telehealth regulations allowed for flexibility in treatment and benefits vulnerable populations.
AB - Objectives:To examine patient characteristics and outcomes among opioid use disorder patients enrolled in low-threshold buprenorphine treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods:This paper describes the adaptation of the Project Connections (PC) program, a low-threshold buprenorphine program in Baltimore, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines patient characteristics and initial outcomes of patients served during a rapid protocol shift to telehealth that allowed buprenorphine initiation without an in-person encounter following a state-mandated stay-at-home order. Patient characteristics were compared to a subsample of patients enrolled in the program before the COVID-19 pandemic.Results:In March 2020, there was a sharp increase in new enrollments to the PC program. A total of 143 patients completed an intake assessment between March and May 2020 and 140 began treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone. Those who completed an intake assessment were primarily male (68.5%), Black (83.2%), had a mean age of 43.2 years (SD = 11.7), and reported a mean of 17.0 years of opioid use (SD = 12.9). The majority of patients were unemployed (72.7%) and reported previous criminal justice involvement (69.2%). Of those who completed an intake assessment, 96.5% returned for a second visit. Among those for whom 30-day retention data was available (n = 113), 63.7% were engaged for 30 days or longer.Conclusions:The PC program illustrates that offering on-demand, flexible treatment is an opportunity to increase opioid use disorder treatment access, even during a public health emergency that disrupted access to services. Relaxation of buprenorphine telehealth regulations allowed for flexibility in treatment and benefits vulnerable populations.
KW - COVID-19
KW - buprenorphine. opioid agonist treatment
KW - harm reduction
KW - low-threshold treatment
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U2 - 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000774
DO - 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000774
M3 - Article
C2 - 33177436
AN - SCOPUS:85104351299
SN - 1932-0620
VL - 15
SP - 364
EP - 369
JO - Journal of addiction medicine
JF - Journal of addiction medicine
IS - 5
ER -