Rural patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) face a variety of barriers when accessing opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and\npsychiatric services, due to the limited supply of physicians and the vast geographic area. The telemedicine allows for contact\nbetween patients and their physicianââ?¬â?regardless of physical distance. Objective.We characterize theusage of telemedicine todeliver\npsychiatric services to patients with OUD in Ontario, as well as traits of treatment-seeking patients with opioid dependence and\nconcurrent psychiatric disorders. Methodology. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using an administrative database for\npatients who received psychiatric services via telemedicine between 2008 and 2014 and who also had OUD. Results.We identified\n9,077 patients with concurrent opioid use and other mental health disorders who had received psychiatric services via telemedicine\nfrom 2008 to 2014; 7,109 (78.3%) patients lived in Southern Ontario and 1,968 (21.7%) in Northern Ontario. Telemedicine was used\nmore frequently to provide mental health services to patients residing in Northern Ontario than Southern Ontario. Conclusion.\nTelemedicine is increasingly being utilized throughout Ontario for delivering mental health treatment. There is an opportunity to\nincrease access to psychiatric services for patients with opioid dependence and concurrent psychiatric disorders through the use of\nthe telemedicine.
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