Dataset Information

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 1.11-1.52]) and a higher likelihood of SUD counseling in the prior 30 days (aOR 1.28 [95% CI 1.05-1.57]). Lack of cell phone was associated with decreased days of MOUD (aIRR 0.77 [95% CI 0.66-0.91]) and a lower likelihood of prior 30-day SUD counseling (aOR 0.77 [95% CI 0.62-0.94]).

Conclusions

Expanding US rural SUD treatment engagement via telemedicine may require increased cell phone and mobile network access.

SUBMITTER: Button D

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

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

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

Button Dana D Levander Ximena A XA Cook Ryan R RR Miller William C WC Salisbury-Afshar Elizabeth M EM Tsui Judith I JI Ibragimov Umedjon U Jenkins Wiley D WD Westergaard Ryan P RP Korthuis P Todd PT

The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association 20221227 4

<h4>Purpose</h4>To evaluate how technology access affected substance use disorder (SUD) treatment prior to COVID-19 for people who use drugs in rural areas.<h4>Methods</h4>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.<h4>Finding ...[more]

PMID: 36575145

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Dataset Information

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

Purpose

Methods

Findings

Conclusions

Publications

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

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