Throughout the course of the COVID-19 public health emergency, telehealth and virtual care services have emerged as potentially paradigm-shifting tools for both pain management and substance use disorder (SUD) care. Yet, several challenges remain—related to policy, regulation, payment, training, technology, and equity—to allow for the full integration of these services into the continuum of pain management and SUD care.

In an effort to better understand both the challenges and opportunities for telehealth and virtual care within the pain management and SUD care ecosystems, the Collaborative’s Working Groups on Pain Management Guidelines and Evidence Standards (PM) and Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (PTR) will convene a four-party meeting series as a forum to explore both the barriers and opportunities for expanding telehealth and virtual care services in pain management and OUD/SUD care.

These discussions will identify key barriers and opportunities for expanding telehealth and virtual care services for pain and OUD/SUD, including actionable and evidence-informed guidance that can support future decision-making by policymakers, regulators, payers, health systems, clinicians, and patients. The series will culminate in a publication that will identify key areas for future action, research, and investment, pertaining to policymakers, payers, health systems, clinicians, and patients alike.