Missed appointments during COVID-19: The impact of telehealth for persons experiencing homelessness with substance use disorders

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.

Automated summary

The study found that for individuals with substance use disorder, the probability of appointment no-show for telehealth encounters was significantly higher among persons experiencing homelessness compared to stably housed individuals. Therefore, housing status plays a significant role in influencing the effectiveness of telehealth as a modality of healthcare delivery for individuals with SUD.