TY - JOUR AU - J. G. Salvador AU - O. B. Myers AU - S. R. Bhatt AU - V. Jacobsohn AU - L. Lindsey AU - R. S. Alkhafaji AU - Rishel Brakey AU - A. L. Sussman A1 - AB - BACKGROUND: Lack of access to buprenorphine to treat Opioid Use Disorder is profound in rural areas where over half of small and remote rural counties have no buprenorphine prescriber. To increase prescribing, an online, Medication of Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) was developed that addressed known barriers to the startup and expansion of treatment. The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship between participating in MOUD ECHO sessions and prescribing of buprenorphine for OUD in rural primary care. METHODS: Using non-random, rolling-recruitment from Feb 2018 to October of 2021, all rural primary care clinics in New Mexico were contacted via phone call and fax to recruit providers (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants) who had no or limited buprenorphine experience to enroll in this study. Participation in the MOUD ECHO was tracked across the 12 week series. Start-up and expansion of buprenorphine treatment was measured every 3 months for up to 2 years using 5 implementation benchmarks spanning training completion, obtaining licensure, prescribing and adding patients. Using a dose-response intention to treat type analysis, associations between number of sessions and benchmark achievement were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Eighty providers were enrolled, mostly female (66%) white (82%), non-Hispanic (82%), and mostly nurse practitioners (51%) or MDs (38%). Achievement of prescribing benchmarks at 6 months was significantly increased by attendance at MOUD ECHO sessions including obtaining training and licensure Odds Ratio (OR = 1.24; P = .001); starting to prescribe (OR = 1.31; P = .004), and adding patients (OR = 1.14; P = .025). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides compelling evidence that MOUD ECHO participation may significantly increase the number of providers implementing this treatment and adding patients onto their panels. The dose-response approach helps address current gaps in ECHO research that call for more rigorous examination of the ECHO model's impact on provider practice improvements. AD - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.; Addictions and Substance Abuse Programs, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, USA.; Clinical and Translational Science Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA. AN - 37902036 BT - Subst Abus C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities CP - 4 DA - Oct DO - 10.1177/08897077231198971 DP - NLM ET - 20231030 IS - 4 JF - Subst Abus LA - eng N2 - BACKGROUND: Lack of access to buprenorphine to treat Opioid Use Disorder is profound in rural areas where over half of small and remote rural counties have no buprenorphine prescriber. To increase prescribing, an online, Medication of Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) was developed that addressed known barriers to the startup and expansion of treatment. The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship between participating in MOUD ECHO sessions and prescribing of buprenorphine for OUD in rural primary care. METHODS: Using non-random, rolling-recruitment from Feb 2018 to October of 2021, all rural primary care clinics in New Mexico were contacted via phone call and fax to recruit providers (Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants) who had no or limited buprenorphine experience to enroll in this study. Participation in the MOUD ECHO was tracked across the 12 week series. Start-up and expansion of buprenorphine treatment was measured every 3 months for up to 2 years using 5 implementation benchmarks spanning training completion, obtaining licensure, prescribing and adding patients. Using a dose-response intention to treat type analysis, associations between number of sessions and benchmark achievement were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Eighty providers were enrolled, mostly female (66%) white (82%), non-Hispanic (82%), and mostly nurse practitioners (51%) or MDs (38%). Achievement of prescribing benchmarks at 6 months was significantly increased by attendance at MOUD ECHO sessions including obtaining training and licensure Odds Ratio (OR = 1.24; P = .001); starting to prescribe (OR = 1.31; P = .004), and adding patients (OR = 1.14; P = .025). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides compelling evidence that MOUD ECHO participation may significantly increase the number of providers implementing this treatment and adding patients onto their panels. The dose-response approach helps address current gaps in ECHO research that call for more rigorous examination of the ECHO model's impact on provider practice improvements. PY - 2023 SN - 0889-7077 SP - 282 EP - 291+ ST - Association of MOUD ECHO Participation on Expansion of Buprenorphine Prescribing in Rural Primary Care T1 - Association of MOUD ECHO Participation on Expansion of Buprenorphine Prescribing in Rural Primary Care T2 - Subst Abus TI - Association of MOUD ECHO Participation on Expansion of Buprenorphine Prescribing in Rural Primary Care U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Education & Workforce; Healthcare Disparities U3 - 10.1177/08897077231198971 VL - 44 VO - 0889-7077 Y1 - 2023 ER -