Opioid use disorder patients more likely to stick with treatment if referred through telemedicine than the ED

Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels Telemedicine referrals for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) can be a more effective way than an in-person emergency department visit to get patients to start and stay with medication assisted treatment through an outpatient clinic. Those are the findings from a study University at Buffalo researchers published online in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment on June 29. It is believed to be the first study comparing telemedicine referrals to treatment for OUD to referrals initiated at the emergency department. “Telemedicine evaluations by emergency medicine providers did lead to increased retention in Read More