Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Assessment of Intensive Outpatient Programming and Data Collection Practices

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kate Gliske, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation; Justine Welsh, Emory University; Jacqueline E Braughton, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation; Lance Waller, Emory University; Quyen M Ngo, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-03-16
• Publisher: JMIR PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: ©Kate Gliske, Justine W Welsh, Jacqueline E Braughton, Lance A Waller, Quyen M Ngo. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (https://mental.jmir.org), 14.03.2022.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/36263
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JMIR MENTAL HEALTH
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: e36263
• End Page: e36263
• Keywords: routine outcome monitoring data; addiction; virtual care; digital health; addiction treatment; virtual health; COVID-19; Science & Technology; patient outcomes; telehealth; substance use treatment; telemedicine; RATES; feasibility study; Psychiatry; outpatient program; mental health; substance use disorder; Life Sciences & Biomedicine
• Research Categories: Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Mental Health; Biology, Biostatistics

Abstract

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid transition of many types of substance use disorder (SUD) treatments to telehealth formats, despite limited information about what makes treatment effective in this novel format. Objective: This study aims to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual intensive outpatient programming (IOP) treatment for SUD in the context of a global pandemic, while considering the unique challenges posed to data collection during an unprecedented public health crisis. Methods: The study is based on a longitudinal study with a baseline sample of 3642 patients who enrolled in intensive outpatient addiction treatment (in-person, hybrid, or virtual care) from January 2020 to March 2021 at a large substance use treatment center in the United States. The analytical sample consisted of patients who completed the 3-month postdischarge outcome survey as part of routine outcome monitoring (n=1060, 29.1% response rate). Results: No significant differences were detected by delivery format in continuous abstinence (χ2 2=0.4, P=.81), overall quality of life (F2,826=2.06, P=.13), financial well-being (F2,767=2.30, P=.10), psychological well-being (F2,918=0.72, P=.49), and confidence in one's ability to stay sober (F2,941=0.21, P=.81). Individuals in hybrid programming were more likely to report a higher level of general health than those in virtual IOP (F2,917=4.19, P=.01). Conclusions: Virtual outpatient care for the treatment of SUD is a feasible alternative to in-person-only programming, leading to similar self-reported outcomes at 3 months postdischarge. Given the many obstacles presented throughout data collection during a pandemic, further research is needed to better understand under what conditions telehealth is an acceptable alternative to in-person care.