Telehealth to Improve Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Emergency Departments

Project Overview

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is one of America’s most deadly and wide-spread diseases. Remarkably effective interventions are available to prevent OUD deaths, with medication for OUD (MOUD) being shown to reduce mortality. Peer recovery services (PRS) have been shown to have significant impacts on patients’ engagement in MOUD, and MUSC has integrated in-person PRS into its Charleston emergency department (ED) with great success. The COE will pilot and evaluate the delivery of PRS remotely via telehealth to its rural EDs in hopes to better engage patients at these sites in MOUD.