We examined the impact of telehealth on appointment retention among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) by housing status. We evaluated appointment status using multivariate logistic regression with primary predictor variables of visit modality, patient's housing status and interaction between these two variables. Between March 1 and September 30, 2020, there were 18,206 encounters among 1,626 clients with SUD. For telehealth encounters, the probability of an appointment no-show was significantly higher for persons experiencing homelessness compared to stably housed (37% versus 25%, p < 0.001). Housing status influences the effectiveness of telehealth as a modality of healthcare delivery for individuals with SUD.
Keywords: Persons experiencing homelessness; Substance use disorder; Telehealth.
Published by Elsevier B.V.