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Telepsychiatry: an Innovative Approach to Addressing the Opioid Crisis

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Abstract

The opioid epidemic faced by the USA is a complex public health crisis, with staggering loss of life and overwhelming social, health, and economic costs. Despite the rising need for medication-assisted treatment, individuals struggling with opioid use continue to face multiple barriers hindering their access to care, particularly in rural areas. Innovative approaches to enhance access to treatment are needed. Telepsychiatry has proven to be effective and economical across multiple settings and psychiatric diagnoses, including opioid use disorder. As the implementation of telepsychiatry continues to expand, this method of healthcare delivery offers significant opportunities to overcome several barriers to access patients with opioid use disorder face. While addressing the opioid crisis will require multifaceted efforts involving multiple stakeholders and different approaches, a comprehensive strategy must incorporate the adoption of telepsychiatry as an innovative approach to overcoming barriers to treatment and enhancing access to care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tufts University School of Medicine, 4525 N Ravenswood Ave #201, Chicago, IL, 60640, USA

    Hossam Mahmoud MD, MPH

  2. Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Emily Vogt

Authors
  1. Hossam Mahmoud MD, MPH
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  2. Emily Vogt
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Contributions

Dr. Hossam Mahmoud developed the concept, performed literature search, performed literature review, write up, and editing. Ms. Emily Vogt performed literature search, performed literature review, write up, and editing.

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Correspondence to Hossam Mahmoud MD, MPH.

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Mahmoud, H., Vogt, E. Telepsychiatry: an Innovative Approach to Addressing the Opioid Crisis. J Behav Health Serv Res 46, 680–685 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-018-9611-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-018-9611-1

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