Introduction: Temporary policy changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic facilitated rapid expansion of medication for opioid use disorder via telemedicine (tele-MOUD). Evidence for tele-MOUD best practices and its impact on treatment engagement and retention remains limited. This quality improvement initiative compared tele-MOUD implementation among Pennsylvania medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs, evaluated sociodemographic characteristics of patients using tele-MOUD, and described trends in tele-MOUD use and patient engagement and retention. Methods: Five health systems with MOUD programs completed questionnaires regarding their tele-MOUD models and provided aggregated sociodemographic data for MOUD patients with in-person and telemedicine visits in 2020. Three programs provided aggregated monthly appointment data (scheduled, completed, no-show, tele-MOUD visits) over the period in which tele-MOUD scaled up. Results: Differences in tele-MOUD protocols related to provision of tele-MOUD inductions, patient eligibility for tele-MOUD, and operationalization of remote drug testing. Across programs, 88% of prescribers conducted tele-MOUD appointments, and 50% of patients used tele-MOUD in 2020. We observed sociodemographic differences, with a greater proportion of female, White, and non-Hispanic patients using tele-MOUD. Across programs with appointment data, overall patient enrollment increased, and new patient enrollment remained relatively constant. Engagement trends suggested a temporary decline in no-show appointments that aligned with the escalation of tele-MOUD in one program. Conclusions: Tele-MOUD protocol differences indicate a need for research to inform evidence-based guidance. Findings suggest that patients largely remained engaged and retained in MOUD as tele-MOUD was implemented but reveal inequities in tele-MOUD use, highlighting the need for efforts to overcome technology access barriers and avoid exacerbating disparities in MOUD access.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.