Telehealth reduced risk of opioid overdoses during pandemic, study says

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A new study found the risk of opioid overdoses dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people accessed telehealth services.

Researchers at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published their findings Wednesday showing telehealth made it easier for Medicare beneficiaries to access care for opioid use disorder, as well as medications for opioid use disorder.

At the start of the pandemic, the Trump administration expanded telehealth programs for Medicare beneficiaries, which federal officials said improved care and reduced the odds of a medically treated overdose.

Researchers looked at data from more than 170,000 Medicare beneficiaries and found those who received telehealth care during the pandemic were more likely to get medical help, compared to before the pandemic when access to telehealth was more limited.

"The findings showed that telehealth improved the receipt and retention of MOUD, suggesting that this method of healthcare delivery may address common barriers to OUD-related treatment such as transportation and perceived stigma associated with OUD," said Carla Shoff, a social science research analyst at CMS.

While telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the risk of opioid overdoses, another study published in Lancet in February found the pandemic increased the use of opioids due to stressors including quarantine, unemployment and loss of loved ones.