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

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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.