We conducted a search of MEDLINE’s PubMed database and Web of Science to identify studies published in English from 2010 to 2020 and identified additional articles through a snowball approach. We defined telehealth as synchronous communication between patients and providers via telephone or videoconferencing for assessment, diagnostic, or treatment purposes. We limited the review to studies that compared the efficacy of telehealth with in-person treatment for substance use disorders and that undertook a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or used another controlled comparative design.

• While these substances are very different from each other, they all strongly activate the reward center of your brain and produce feelings of pleasure.
• Emergency department (ED) clinicians are in a unique position to interact with people struggling with opioid addiction…
• Meetings typically involve individuals sharing their stories of addiction and recovery.

A provider will also ask about your mental health history, as it’s common to have an SUD and a mental health condition. In addition, it’s more likely that someone will use substances that are legally and/or readily available (like alcohol and tobacco). Opioids are another example of this — the availability and volume of prescription opioids make them easier to access.

Relapse prevention

Our approach fully integrates the psychological and biological interventions that are most likely to lead to sustained recovery in an outpatient setting. Other medications that are used in the fight against opioid addiction include agonist drugs, such as methadone and naloxone. The drug also reverses the effects of opioids, so it can be used to treat an overdose. The evaluation, diagnosis and resulting treatment plan must be developed by qualified, experienced professionals in the addiction field, and must address the multiple aspects of the disease. Although https://stylevanity.com/2023/07/top-5-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-sober-house.html provider need not provide all services directly, quality care then demands that services be planned for and provided through referral linkages with other appropriately qualified providers. The point at which an abuser becomes addicted is specific to that individual.

• Detoxification alone without subsequent treatment generally leads to resumption of drug use.
• Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are support groups for friends and family members of individuals with an addiction or substance use disorder.
• Parents with young children also were identified as potentially benefiting from telehealth services, because their family responsibilities make it difficult to come to a clinic.
• Systematic toxicology screenings in certain occupations and for public assistance applicants ultimately save lives, lead to safer work environments, and have contributed to the nation’s success with welfare reform.
• Seven found telehealth treatment as effective but not more effective than in-person treatment in terms of retention, therapeutic alliance, and substance use.

Although providers thought telehealth helped reduce access barriers, five studies did not find that telehealth resulted in improved treatment retention, but they may have been underpowered (13–16, 18). One large Canadian observational study found improved retention with telehealth-delivered methadone medication management (12). No substance is 100% safe, including legal, prescription medications for drug addiction. For one thing, drugs that are used to treat addiction must be administered under strict guidelines and with doctor supervision because these drugs can cause a range of issues if misused. Naltrexone, for example, can’t be used until someone has fully detoxed from opioids.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Models

Additional research is needed to confirm that benefit and to determine how best to tailor telehealth to each patient’s circumstances and with what mix of in-person and telehealth services. Aside from developing medications to treat alcohol, opioid, and cocaine dependence, his work has also increased the understanding of the clinical aspects of addiction and the neurobiology of relapse. Because these drugs can be abused, people who have legally prescribed medications for opioid addiction must obtain them from specialized clinics and take the drugs under a doctor’s strict supervision.