Yusuf Sherwani, M.D.

Patients appreciate that they can participate from the privacy of their homes, and health plans and employers value the high effectiveness rates — higher than traditional treatments, in many cases.

While there are slight variations in programs depending on whether they are focused on tobacco, alcohol or opioids, here’s an inside view of how they work and what the patient might experience.

The pandemic has further elevated the rates of alcohol use among women, and research has shown that women are especially susceptible to increasing alcohol use in response to the psychological stresses related to COVID-19.

Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace is responsible for 65% of on-the-job accidents.

Substance use disorder and behavioral health treatments are examples of why employers are responding with virtual care programs to continue to take care of the health and well-being of their employees.