Substance Use Disorders and Telehealth in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A New Outlook

Oesterle, Tyler S.; Kolla, Bhanuprakash; Risma, Cameron J.; Breitinger, Scott A.; Rakocevic, Daniela B.; Loukianova, Larissa L.; Hall-Flavin, Daniel K.; Gentry, Melanie T.; Rummans, Teresa A.; Chauhan, Mohit; Gold, Mark S.

During the current COVID-19 epidemic many outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs and clinics are decreasing the number of in-person patients contact. This has widened an already large gap between patients with substance use disorders (SUD) that need treatment and those that actually received treatment. For a disorder where group therapy is the mainstay treatment option for decades, social distancing, shelter in place and treatment discontinuation have created an urgent need for alternative approaches to addiction treatment. In an attempt to continue some care for patients in need, many a medical interventions have transitioned to a virtual environment in order to promote safe social distancing. Although there is ample evidence to support tele-medical interventions, these can be difficult to implement especially in SUD populations. This article reviews current literature for the use of tele/virtual interventions in the treatment of SUDs and offers recommendations on safe an effective implementation strategies based on the current literature.