Designing and Evaluating COVID-19 Protocols for an Office-Based Opioid Treatment Program in an Urban Underserved Setting

Background: Despite changing federal regulations for providing telehealth services and provision of controlled substances during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is little guidance available office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs integrated into primary care settings. Purpose: (1) Develop disaster-preparedness protocols specific to pandemic an urban OBOT program, (2) evaluate impacts protocol on care. Methods: Disaster-preparedness were developed implemented March 16, 2020. Retrospective chart review compared patients from January 1, 2020 13, 2020, April 30, abstracting patient demographics comparing show no-show rates between studied groups. Results: The was under a deliberative process address social issues underserved population. Of 852 visits conducted Jan 91.7% rate (n = 166/181) documented telemedicine after implementation with 74.1% 497/671) routine in-person (P .06) without significant differences study populations. significantly lower (8.3% vs 25.9%; P <0.05). Conclusions: OBOTs require organized workflows continue provide pandemic. Telemedicine, in face relaxed regulations, has opportunity enhance addiction care, creating more convenient as well equally effective mechanism deliver that should inform future policy.