A Buprenorphine Program Evaluation Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

J Nurse Pract. 2022 Mar;18(3):267-271. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.12.025. Epub 2022 Jan 5.

Abstract

This project evaluated the service delivery (ie, attendance rate) of a buprenorphine management treatment program and compared patient recovery-related information between service methods. This was a medical record review and cross-sectional comparison of pre-COVID-19 vs post onset of COVID-19 data. In the sample of 28 adults, mean attendance rates did not differ significantly before (99.46%) vs during the pandemic (96.13%; t = 1.92, P = .07). Patient participation in therapy before and during the pandemic did differ significantly (χ2 = 1.98, P = .03). The use of telemental health services within a BMT program may be a viable option when normal in-person services are disrupted.

Keywords: buprenorphine; medication assisted treatment; opioid use disorder; telemental health.