BACKGROUND
Access to behavioral health services, particularly substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services, is challenging in rural and other underserved areas. Some of the reasons for these challenges include local primary care providers without experience in behavioral health treatment, few specialty providers, and concerns over stigma and lack of privacy for individuals from smaller communities. Telehealth can ease these challenges and support behavioral health, specifically SUD treatment, in a variety of ways, including direct patient care, patient engagement, and provider education. Telehealth is particularly relevant for the growing opioid epidemic, which has profoundly affected rural areas.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to understand how telehealth is used to support behavioral health and SUDs, with a particular focus on implications for medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders. The intent was to understand telehealth implementation and use, financing and sustainability, and impact in the field. The results of this work can be used to inform future policy and practice.
METHODS
We reviewed literature and interviewed telehealth stakeholders and end users in the field. The team identified a diverse set of participants, including clinical staff, administrators, telehealth coordinators, and information technology staff. We analyzed research notes to extract themes from participant experiences to answer the study questions.
RESULTS
Organizations varied in how they implemented telehealth services and the services they offered. Common themes arose in implementation, such as planning for technical and organizational impacts of telehealth, the importance of leadership support, and tailoring programs to community needs.
CONCLUSIONS
Telehealth is used in a variety of ways to expand access to services and extend service delivery. As the policy and reimbursement landscape continues to evolve, there may be corresponding changes in telehealth uptake and services provided.
CLINICALTRIAL
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Lost in the Rush to National Reform: Recommendations to Improve Impact on Behavioral Health Providers in Rural Areas
