Opioid Use Disorder Care during COVID-19 Disruptions
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial disruptions in the treatment of opioid use disorder, and the consequences of these interruptions are still unclear. During the height of the pandemic, community addiction clinics shifted to virtual care, reduced their operating hours, or even temporarily closed their doors. Meanwhile, opioid overdoses in Alberta and British Columbia continued to rise. It was unclear whether patients were receiving the required assistance through opioid use disorder treatment or if their treatment fell short of meeting their needs.
In this project, we combined the analysis of data from opioid addiction clinics and emergency departments to create a comprehensive picture of how COVID-19 affected the treatment of opioid use disorder. Importantly, in collaboration with Blackfoot Confederacy we evaluated how these changes in treatment specifically impacted First Nations members in Blackfoot territory.
Project Start: 2020
Project Status: Active
Funder:
Ethics #: Pro00105198
Partners
Project Team
Patrick McLane, University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services
Bonnie Healy, Blackfoot Confederacy
Rita Henderson, University of Calgary
Hakique Virani, University of Alberta
Cheryl Barnabe, University of Calgary
Lindsay Crowshoe, University of Calgary
Jake Hayward, University of Alberta
Brian R. Holroyd, University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services
Elaine Hyshka, University of Alberta
Eddy Lang, University of Alberta
Katherine Rittenbach, Alberta Health Services
Rhonda J. Rosychuk, University of Alberta
Chis Sarin, Indigenous Services Canada, Government of Canada
KT/Publications/Links
Read the full article on BMC Public Health 2021; 21.