Substance use disorder treatment and technology access among people who use drugs in rural areas of the United States: A cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To evaluate how technology access affected substance use disorder (SUD) treatment prior to COVID-19 for people who use drugs in rural areas.

Methods

The Rural Opioid Initiative (January 2018-March 2020) was a cross-sectional study of people with prior 30-day injection drug or nonprescribed opioid use from rural areas of 10 states. Using multivariable mixed-effect regression models, we examined associations between participant technology access and SUD treatment.

Findings

Of 3,026 participants, 71% used heroin and 76% used methamphetamine. Thirty-five percent had no cell phone and 10% had no prior 30-day internet use. Having both a cell phone and the internet was associated with increased days of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) use (aIRR 1.29 [95% CI

SUBMITTER: Button D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10293469 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature