Table 3.
Clinician characteristics associated with remote prescribing to a new patient without conducting an in-person examination during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency¥ (n = 6734).
| Clinician Characteristic | Adjusted Odds Ratio (95 % Confidence Interval) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Female | Ref |
| Male | 0.83 (0.73−0.95) |
| Age Group | |
| 25−34 | 1.95 (1.44−2.64) |
| 35−44 | 1.59 (1.23−2.05) |
| 45−54 | 1.17 (0.94−1.45) |
| 55−64 | 1.10 (0.90−1.33) |
| 65 or older | Ref |
| U.S. Census Region | |
| Northeast | Ref |
| Midwest | 0.74 (0.62−0.88) |
| South | 0.68 (0.58−0.80) |
| West | 0.95 (0.82−1.12) |
| U.S. Territory | 0.52 (0.13−2.02) |
| Rural-Urban Status of Practice Location | |
| Urban | Ref |
| Suburban | 0.80 (0.70−0.91) |
| Rural | 0.67 (0.57−0.77) |
| Type of Provider | |
| Physician (MD/DO) | Ref |
| Nurse Practitioner or other nursing-related provider | 0.86 (0.74−1.00) |
| Physician Assistant | 0.52 (0.41−0.67) |
| Primary Practice Specialty | |
| Primary Care | Ref |
| Addiction Medicine | 1.24 (0.97−1.59) |
| Psychiatry | 0.94 (0.82−1.09) |
| Pediatrician | 0.69 (0.33−1.45) |
| Obstetrician/Gynecologist | 0.67 (0.44−1.02) |
| Emergency Medicine | 1.67 (1.02−2.73) |
| Pain Medicine/Anesthesiology | 0.82 (0.61−1.09) |
| Infectious Disease | 1.14 (0.60−2.18) |
| Other | 1.07 (0.76−1.52) |
| Addiction Medicine Board Certification | |
| No | Ref |
| Yes | 1.06 (0.93−1.21) |
| Years in Practice | |
| Less than 5 years | Ref |
| 5−10 years | 0.98 (0.82−1.17) |
| 11−15 years | 0.96 (0.77−1.21) |
| 16−19 years | 0.88 (0.67−1.15) |
| 20 years or more | 0.83 (0.66−1.05) |
| Primary Practice Setting | |
| Office-based solo practice | Ref |
| Office-based group practice | 1.56 (1.30−1.87) |
| Specialty substance use treatment facility | 2.06 (1.56−2.67) |
| Opioid Treatment Program | 1.99 (1.55−2.56) |
| Community clinic (e.g., FQHC, RHC, CCBHC) | 2.15 (1.75−2.64) |
| Emergency Department | 0.52 (0.29−0.94) |
| Urgent Care | 0.77 (0.39−1.51) |
| Criminal Justice setting | 1.36 (0.87−2.13) |
| In-patient/Hospital setting | 1.01 (0.76−1.35) |
| Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense/Indian Health Service | 2.28 (1.65−3.15) |
| Other (e.g., school-based clinic, LTCF, public health) | 1.82 (1.05−3.14) |
| Number of patients treated with buprenorphine in average month in past 12 months | |
| None | 0.17 (0.05−0.54) |
| 1−4 | Ref |
| 5−9 | 2.27 (1.86−2.78) |
| 10−14 | 3.01 (2.43−3.72) |
| 15−29 | 4.01 (3.28−4.91) |
| 30−74 | 5.91 (4.87−7.17) |
| 75−124 | 6.11 (4.86−7.70) |
| 125−275 | 9.95 (7.72−12.82) |
| Practice setting closed during COVID-19 Public Health Emergency | |
| No | Ref |
| Yes | 2.85 (2.52−3.23) |
| Prescribed buprenorphine remotely to established patients prior to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency | |
| No | Ref |
| Yes | 1.17 (1.02−1.33) |
| Listed on the SAMHSA Buprenorphine Provider Locator | |
| No | Ref |
| Yes | 1.11 (0.96−1.28) |
Source: CDC-NIDA Survey of DATA 2000 Clinicians, June-August 2020.
Bold text indicates statistically significant findings.
PHE = Public Health Emergency.
FQHC = Federally Qualified Health Center, RHC = Rural Health Center, CCBHC = Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, LTCF = Long-term Care Facility.
Model adjusted for all variables in the table.
¥
Among clinicians prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder treatment in the past 12 months.