Telemedicine applications offer innovative approaches for treating and reducing the effects of substance use disorders (SUDs). This analysis assessed the interest in and use of 11 telemedicine applications in a sample of 363 SUD organizations in the United States of America. Fifty percent of the organizations expressed high rates of interest in seven of the telemedicine applications, demonstrating the appeal of telemedicine within this field. The top three self-reported telemedicine applications being used were (1) computerized screening/assessments (44.6%), (2) telephone-based recovery supports (29.5%), and (3) telephone-based therapy (28.37%). The greatest gaps between interest and use were for (1) texting appointment reminders (55.2% differential), (2) mobile apps for posttreatment recovery (46.6% differential), and (3) recovery support chats (46.6% differential). A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) of the organizations' telemedicine use behavior identified three groupings: “Innovators” that were using a range of technologies (n = 27, 7.4%); “Technology Traditionalists” that limited their use to telephone, video, and web portal technologies (n = 101, 27.8%); and “Low Tech” that had low overall technology use (n = 235, 64.7%). Future studies should build on how telemedicine could be applied in SUD settings, organizational behaviors towards its adoption, and telemedicine's effect on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes.

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Developing shared national resources, with standardised workshops taught in local contexts via a mobile skills unit is one approach to the challenges associated with delivering high-risk clinical skills education.

Advances in medicine, sanitation, and industry over the past two centuries have produced significant improvements in global health and longevity. Many citizens of Western countries can now expect to live into their eighth or ninth decade, possibly even longer. However, while most older people enjoy good health, those who do not can suffer marked morbidity, placing significant demands on their health care systems, families, and societies. In this entry, we summarize the current trends in health as we age, addressing two major areas of concern – mental health and non‐communicable diseases. We go on to discuss the challenges of caring for an older population, including medical and social care provision, and combating discrimination against this vulnerable group. Finally we look to the future and emphasize the importance of proactive national policymaking in anticipating health demands, nurturing informal care provision by families, and promoting healthier lifestyle choices.