According to CNN (8/7, McPhillips), “only about a third of adults with opioid use disorder” (OUD) “received any type of treatment for substance use,” and only about one in five “received medication to treat” the disorder, according to findings published online Aug. 7 in JAMA Network Open. The study also “supports previous research that has found telehealth to improve rates of treatment,” in that “those receiving substance use treatment via telehealth were nearly 40 times more likely to receive medications for opioid use disorder than those who did not receive telehealth treatment, the researchers found.”
According to HealthDay (8/7, Mann), after analyzing “data from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an annual survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,” investigators found that “only 36% received any substance use treatment, and only 22% received medications for opioid use disorder.” Bloomberg (8/7, Jones, Griffin, Subscription Publication) also covers the story.
Related Links:
— “Only 1 in 5 adults with an opioid use disorder received medication to treat it in 2021,” Deidre McPhillips, CNN, August 7, 2023