Treatment Outcome Comparison Between Telepsychiatry and Face-to-face Buprenorphine Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: A 2-Year Retrospective Data Analysis.

Objectives: To retrospectively review clinic records to assess the difference between face-to-face and telepsychiatry buprenorphine medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for the treatment of opioid use disorder on 3 outcomes: additional substance use, average time to achieve 30 and 90 consecutive days of abstinence, and treatment retention rates at 90 and 365 days.

Methods: Medical records of patients (N = 100) who were participating in telepsychiatry and in face-to-face group-based outpatient buprenorphine MAT programs were reviewed and assessed using descriptive statistical analysis.

Results: In comparison with the telepsychiatry MAT group, the face-to-face MAT group showed no significant difference in terms of additional substance use, time to 30 days (P = 0.