Telehealth vs In-Person Evaluation of Addiction Treatment After Visiting the Emergency Department

Main study objective: compare long-term buprenorphine treatment outcomes for patients who start buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the emergency department and are then referred to get outpatient buprenorphine treatment either via telehealth or at an in-person clinic. Researchers will: Compare rates of establishing outpatient OUD treatment, how long patients stay on buprenorphine, and patients' experience with care to determine whether patient experiences and outcomes are better for patients referred to telehealth treatment versus patients patients referred to in-person treatment after they leave the emergency department. Participants will: Be recruited from 3 different hospital emergency departments. Answer questionnaires at baseline and then 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after their initial emergency department visit.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients who present to the emergency department and receive buprenorphine (either administered or prescribed) to treat OUD * do not have an established outpatient clinic where they will get buprenorphine when they leave the emergency department Exclusion Criteria: * inability to give consent * patients living in institutions (e.g., nursing homes, prisons) * unable to complete questionnaires in either English or Spanish