# Telehealth in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders:  Impact on Access, Disparities, and Quality of Care

> **NIH NIH R01** · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · 2024 · $749,529

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and efficacious medication and
behavioral treatments exist, only a small minority with AUD in the US receive any AUD treatment.
Additionally, there are substantial disparities in receiving AUD care across several groups (e.g., racial/ethnic
minorities, women, those who live in rural locations). The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worsening of the
situation with both increases in unhealthy alcohol use and disruptions in care. However, one potentially
positive change is the dramatic rise in use of telehealth. Telehealth for treatment of AUD could increase access
to care and thereby improve treatment outcomes, but much remains unknown about how telehealth is being
incorporated into AUD care, characteristics of the patients who are receiving different patterns of AUD care
and their AUD providers, and the subsequent outcomes. It is also unclear whether telehealth in AUD care is
reducing or widening disparities in utilization.
To address this knowledge gap we will use a mixed methods study that combines analysis of Medicare,
Medicaid, and commercial insurance claims from 2016-2024, with qualitative interviews, to achieve the
following study aims: 1) identify initial longitudinal patterns of telehealth versus in-person AUD care and
assess patient, provider, and community characteristics associated with different patterns; 2) characterize the
longer-term quality outcomes associated with these initial tele-AUD patterns; 3) assess disparities in AUD
utilization over time and the association between tele-AUD use and these disparities; and, 4) explore the
perspective of providers and individuals with problematic drinking on the quality of different care patterns that
incorporate telehealth and other digital tools.
This study will provide important new information that can inform clinical practice regarding the role of
telehealth in AUD care going forward. It can help answer questions about how best to use tele-AUD to improve
access to and quality of AUD care, reduce disparities, and support recovery. The results will also inform the
ongoing debates on telehealth regulation and reimbursement policy in Congress, state legislatures, Medicaid
programs, and private insurers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10840415
- **Project number:** 5R01AA030539-02
- **Recipient organization:** HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- **Principal Investigator:** ALISA B BUSCH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $749,529
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-15 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10840415

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10840415, Telehealth in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders:  Impact on Access, Disparities, and Quality of Care (5R01AA030539-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10840415. Licensed CC0.

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