Response to coronavirus 2019 in Veterans Health Administration facilities participating in an implementation initiative to enhance access to medication for opioid use disorder.
Subst Abus
; 41(4): 413-418, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-772854
ABSTRACT
The actions needed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) have forged rapid paradigm shifts across healthcare delivery. In a time of crisis, continued access to and delivery of medication for opioid use disorder (M-OUD) is essential to save lives. However, prior to COVID-19, large variability in M-OUD adoption existed across the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) and it is unknown whether the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this divide. For the past two years, our team worked with eight VHA facilities to enhance adoption of M-OUD through a multi-component implementation intervention. This commentary explores these providers' responses to COVID-19 and the subsequent impact on their progress toward increasing adoption of M-OUD. Briefly, the loosening of regulatory restrictions fostered accelerated adoption of M-OUD, rapid support for telehealth offered a mechanism to increase M-OUD access, and reevaluation of current practices surrounding M-OUD strengthened adoption. Overall, during the COVID-19 crisis, facilities and providers responded positively to the call for increased access to M-OUD and appropriate care of patients with OUD. The VHA providers' responses and continued progress in enhancing M-OUD amidst a crisis may, in part, be attributable to their participation in an implementation effort prior to COVID-19 that established resources, expert support, and a community of practice. We anticipate the themes presented are generalizable to other healthcare systems grappling to deliver care to patients with OUD during a crisis. We propose areas of future research and quality improvement to continue to provide access and high quality, life-saving care to patients with OUD.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
/
Program Development
/
Opiate Substitution Treatment
/
Quality Improvement
/
COVID-19
/
Health Services Accessibility
Type of study:
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Subst Abus
Journal subject:
Substance-Related Disorders
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
08897077.2020.1809609
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS