Implementing a Patient-Centered, Rapid-Access Substance Use Treatment Pathway in Primary Care

Despite the effectiveness of treating substance use disorders in primary care, access to such services remains limited. In this project, quality improvement methods were used to create and evaluate a rapid-access pathway for substance use treatment services in community health clinics. A "secret shopper" test gathered information about wait times and requirements. Results informed the development of a patient-centered pathway, in which patients requesting substance use treatment services were offered an immediate telehealth appointment with a provider and then linked to ongoing care services. This treatment pathway was feasible to implement, resulted in high treatment access rates, and was minimally disruptive to clinic operations.