Missed appointments during COVID-19: The impact of telehealth for persons experiencing homelessness with substance use disorders

• Published in: Asian journal of psychiatry Vol. 69; p. 102987
• Main Authors: Toseef, Mohammad Usama, Armistead, Isaac, Bacon, Emily, Hawkins, Ethan, Bender, Brooke, Podewils, Laura Jean, Hurley, Hermione
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-03-2022; Elsevier
• Subjects: COVID-19; Housing; Humans; Ill-Housed Persons; Persons experiencing homelessness; SARS-CoV-2; Short Communication; Substance use disorder; Substance-Related Disorders - therapy; Telehealth; Telemedicine; Substance use disorder; Telehealth; Persons experiencing homelessness
• ISSN: 1876-2018; 1876-2026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102987

We examined the impact of telehealth on appointment retention among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) by housing status. We evaluated appointment status using multivariate logistic regression with primary predictor variables of visit modality, patient’s housing status and interaction between these two variables. Between March 1 and September 30, 2020, there were 18,206 encounters among 1,626 clients with SUD. For telehealth encounters, the probability of an appointment no-show was significantly higher for persons experiencing homelessness compared to stably housed (37% versus 25%, p < 0.001). Housing status influences the effectiveness of telehealth as a modality of healthcare delivery for individuals with SUD.
•COVID-19 has forced healthcare systems to adapt to methods of care like telehealth.•Effectiveness of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment is associated with housing status.•Gaps in telehealth infrastructure may eliminate the intended benefits of telehealth as a efficient modality of health care.