JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder and is associated with reduced mortality when retention is high, yet national studies show low retention. Evidence from outpatient settings such as telehealth remains limited, despite population-level analyses suggesting improved retention with virtual care. Further research is needed to better understand retention and optimize care for people with opioid use disorder.

Objective:

To describe patient retention in a telehealth-delivered buprenorphine program over 24 months, overall and by treatment transition pathway.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults initiating opioid use disorder treatment in a multistate, telehealth only addiction treatment program between May 1, 2019, and April 30, 2025. Participants completed an intake appointment and either continued or transitioned to buprenorphine treatment via one of six treatment pathways (High Dose, Standard Low Dose, Standard, Quick Start, Low Dose, or Other). Retention in care was defined as cumulative days between clinical engagement events for buprenorphine treatment (medical visits or patient-initiated secure messages), with patients considered retained at each month since enrollment if accrued days were ≥30 times the month number. Retention was assessed overall and by patient characteristics and treatment pathway. Chi square tests and absolute risk differences with 95% CIs were used for comparisons.

Results:

Among 22,066 patients, mean age was 41.2 years (SD 9.9), 48.7% were female, 33.8% lived in rural areas, 78.6% were enrolled in Medicaid, and 37.1% transitioned to buprenorphine. Retention declined from 86.8% at month 1 to 71.0% at month 6, then gradually through 24 months. At month 6, retention was higher among patients with prior buprenorphine exposure (70.4% vs 52.0%; RD 18.5 percentage points, 95% CI 15.5–21.5). Retention varied by pathway, with High Dose showing the highest early retention (81.2% at month 1).

Conclusions:

In this large, multi-state study of telehealth-only buprenorphine treatment, retention was comparable to or markedly higher than historical benchmarks. These findings underscore the potential of patient-centered, trauma-informed telehealth models to support long-term engagement in opioid use disorder care in the illicitly-manufactured fentanyl era.