(HS Salamanca 059650 2023) Innovative Approaches in Primary Care: Tacking the Surge in Substance use through Virtual Care and

Course overview

Substance use is a complex, chronic condition that increases the risk of morbidity and mortality for patients of all ages, yet it typically remains under-treated or diagnosed in primary care settings. Providers can adopt innovative, transformative solutions, from episodic interventions to collaborative care models (CoCM), to integrate virtual specialty care into the primary care setting. This presentation will present compelling reasons why high-quality, virtual specialty care can elevate the role of primary care providers in their responses to patients living with substance use disorders. This discussion will uncover why substance use disorders are often assessed and addressed in a disjoined manner, and why the rise in poly-substance use issues will only increase primary care provider challenges. We will then explore how virtual technology - from episodic interventions to full-integrated CoCM - helps advance the role of primary care providers and empower care teams. Finally, we will explore specific use cases and workflow applications that those in the audience should consider when expanding behavorial health care for their patient populations.