Implementation of routine opioid use disorder screening fails to significantly boost new diagnosis rates, finds research

In a brief research report, authors from University of Washington report that screening for opioid use disorder (OUD) in a primary care setting did not significantly boost the percentage of new diagnoses. Screening sensitivity could be a contributing factor, and the authors suggest that addressing stigma may increase the sensitivity of the screening instrument. The report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Telemedicine visits comparable to in-person visits for addressing most patient clinical concern areas in primary care

A study of more than 1 million adults has found that in primary care, telemedicine visits were comparable to in-person visits for addressing most patient clinical concern areas. Telemedicine visits resulted in lower treatment rates and higher rates of follow-up health care use compared with in-person office visits, but these differences were small and varied by clinical condition. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.