TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - COVID-19/prevention & control
KW - Female
KW - Florida
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods
KW - Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy
KW - Pandemics
KW - Program Evaluation/methods
KW - Students, Medical
KW - Telemedicine/methods
KW - COVID-19
KW - Medications for opioid use disorder
KW - Student-run clinic
KW - telehealth
AU - M. Castillo
AU - B. Conte
AU - S. Hinkes
AU - M. Mathew
AU - C. J. Na
AU - A. Norindr
AU - D. P. Serota
AU - D. W. Forrest
AU - A. R. Deshpande
AU - T. S. Bartholomew
AU - H. E. Tookes
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of the IDEA syringe services program medical student-run free clinic in Miami, Florida. In an effort to continue to serve the community of people who inject drugs and practice compassionate and non-judgmental care, the students transitioned the clinic to a model of TeleMOUD (medications for opioid use disorder). We describe development and implementation of a medical student-run telemedicine clinic through an academic medical center-operated syringe services program. METHODS: Students advertised TeleMOUD services at the syringe service program on social media and created an online sign-up form. They coordinated appointments and interviewed patients by phone or videoconference where they assessed patients for opioid use disorder. Supervising attending physicians also interviewed patients and prescribed buprenorphine when appropriate. Students assisted patients in obtaining medication from the pharmacy and provided support and guidance during home buprenorphine induction. RESULTS: Over the first 9 weeks in operation, 31 appointments were requested, and 22 initial telehealth appointments were completed by a team of students and attending physicians. Fifteen appointments were for MOUD and 7 for other health issues. All patients seeking MOUD were prescribed buprenorphine and 12/15 successfully picked up medications from the pharmacy. The mean time between appointment request and prescription pick-up was 9.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: TeleMOUD is feasible and successful in providing people who inject drugs with low barrier access to life-saving MOUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. This model also provided medical students with experience treating addiction during a time when they were restricted from most clinical activities.
AD - Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. tsb61@miami.edu.; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
BT - Harm reduction journal
C5 - Education & Workforce; HIT & Telehealth; Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 1
DO - 10.1186/s12954-020-00438-4
IS - 1
JF - Harm reduction journal
LA - eng
M1 - Journal Article
N2 - OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of the IDEA syringe services program medical student-run free clinic in Miami, Florida. In an effort to continue to serve the community of people who inject drugs and practice compassionate and non-judgmental care, the students transitioned the clinic to a model of TeleMOUD (medications for opioid use disorder). We describe development and implementation of a medical student-run telemedicine clinic through an academic medical center-operated syringe services program. METHODS: Students advertised TeleMOUD services at the syringe service program on social media and created an online sign-up form. They coordinated appointments and interviewed patients by phone or videoconference where they assessed patients for opioid use disorder. Supervising attending physicians also interviewed patients and prescribed buprenorphine when appropriate. Students assisted patients in obtaining medication from the pharmacy and provided support and guidance during home buprenorphine induction. RESULTS: Over the first 9 weeks in operation, 31 appointments were requested, and 22 initial telehealth appointments were completed by a team of students and attending physicians. Fifteen appointments were for MOUD and 7 for other health issues. All patients seeking MOUD were prescribed buprenorphine and 12/15 successfully picked up medications from the pharmacy. The mean time between appointment request and prescription pick-up was 9.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: TeleMOUD is feasible and successful in providing people who inject drugs with low barrier access to life-saving MOUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. This model also provided medical students with experience treating addiction during a time when they were restricted from most clinical activities.
PY - 2020
SN - 1477-7517; 1477-7517
SP - 020
EP - 4
EP - 88+
T1 - Implementation of a medical student-run telemedicine program for medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - Harm reduction journal
TI - Implementation of a medical student-run telemedicine program for medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic
U1 - Education & Workforce; HIT & Telehealth; Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 33203460
U3 - 10.1186/s12954-020-00438-4
VL - 17
VO - 1477-7517; 1477-7517
Y1 - 2020
Y2 - Nov 17
ER -