Patient Satisfaction With Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment via Telemedicine: Brief Literature Review and Development of a New Assessment

Abstract

Telemedicine is increasingly being used to treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). It has particular value in rural areas of the United States impacted by the opioid crisis as these areas have a shortage of trained addiction medicine providers. Patient satisfaction significantly impacts positive clinical outcomes in OUD treatment and thus is of great clinical interest. Yet little is known regarding patient satisfaction with the increasingly important platform of telemedicine-delivered medications for opioid use disorder (tMOUD). The goal of this review is to provide a summary of the existing literature regarding patient satisfaction with tMOUD. We also submit a novel survey based on an existing framework designed to assess tMOUD satisfaction, and present pilot data (N = 14) acquired from patients engaged in rural tMOUD care. Telemedicine provides a feasible method for delivering MOUD in rural areas, and our survey provides a useful assessment to measure patient satisfaction with tMOUD. In light of the pressing need for innovative and technology-driven solutions to the opioid epidemic (especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic), future research should focus on the development and refinement of tools to assess the important implementation goal of patient satisfaction.

Telehealth-Based Delivery of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: a Critical Review of Recent Developments

“…Some programs appeared to have been largely implemented to support rural populations, recognizing that patients had little-to-no options to access MOUD in their communities or having to travel outside of their communities for treatment [ 12 , 30 , 57 ]. Other programs appeared to address patient needs in urban settings [ 24 , 26 ] and patients experiencing homelessness [ 25 ].…”

“…Future research needs to incorporate long-term data collection more diverse and larger sample sizes medications beyond buprenorphine and a range of clinical and nonclinical outcomes. In addition studies should more consistently track satisfaction over time in a manner that is valid and generalizable as such data may hold value in predictive modeling for treatment retention and engagement [ 57 ]. Finally, reviewed studies primarily examined abstinence and retention rates as measures of treatment effectiveness, yet other clinical outcome measures warrant focus, including reduced use, safer use, and harm reduction.…”

Implications of Increased Access to Buprenorphine for Medical Providers in Rural Areas: A Review of the Literature and Future Directions

“…Other future directions should consider changes in how buprenorphine is delivered for MOUD. The utilization of both telemedicine [38][39][40] and interim-dosing buprenorphine [32,41] have been suggested to be efficacious delivery methods for MOUD in rural areas. Treating OUD via telemedicine has been shown to produce clinical outcomes similar to in-person interactions [38,39,42].…”

“…The utilization of both telemedicine [38][39][40] and interim-dosing buprenorphine [32,41] have been suggested to be efficacious delivery methods for MOUD in rural areas. Treating OUD via telemedicine has been shown to produce clinical outcomes similar to in-person interactions [38,39,42]. Utilizing telemedicine to treat and monitor patients who are taking buprenorphine/naloxone for OUD may have particular value in rural areas where there is a shortage of healthcare providers, and patients may need to drive long distances to access a provider.…”

A Buprenorphine Program Evaluation Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Moreover, the largest recent increases in opioid mortality and injury occurred in rural states like Kentucky, West Virginia, Alaska, and Oklahoma, which highlights the need for increased accessibility to MAT in these areas ( Hancock et al, 2019 ). There is a geographical disparity amongst providers who are MAT certified in that they are predominantly located in urban areas despite the rapidly growing opioid crisis in rural regions ( Cole et al, 2021 ). Telemental health services have the capability to reach a wider geographical range for treatment and thereby address the difficulties rural areas face due to the opioid epidemic.…”