A new study, published this week in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research examined how telehealth, using video or phone calls, affects the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Lewei Allison Lin, M.D., M.S.The study, coauthored by Lewei Allison Lin, M.D., M.S. colleagues , looked at data from the Veterans Health Administration during the year following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers found that patients who used telehealth for their treatment tended to have more psychotherapy visits and stayed on medication treatment longer compared to those who only had in-person visits. This study was highlighted in the American Psychiatric Association Psychiatry News Alert.
The results showed that telehealth was associated with better treatment outcomes for both new patients and those continuing treatment. Specifically, patients who had video visits tended to have more psychotherapy sessions than those who only had telephone visits. However, some groups, such as older individuals, Black individuals, and those with certain substance use disorders or mental illnesses, were less likely to use video visits.
The findings suggest that telehealth can be beneficial for AUD treatment, but efforts should be made to ensure all patient groups have access to it. The study highlights potential disparities in who uses telehealth and emphasizes the need for careful consideration of telehealth policies to avoid widening these disparities.
