Driving Access to Care: Use of Mobile Units for Urine Specimen Collection During the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Abstract

Patients with substance use disorders (SUD) are at increased risk of both coronavirus disease-19 complications as well as exacerbations of their current conditions due to social distancing and isolation. Innovations that provide increased access to support substance use disorder patients may mitigate long-term sequelae associated with continued or renewed drug use. To improve patient access during the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic, we deployed a mobile unit to enable access to urine drug testing where needed for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Over a 3-week pilot program, 54 patients received urine drug testing across 5 providers and 8 zip codes. The mobile unit was cost-effective, demonstrating a volume-dependent 19% lower cost compared to pre-coronavirus disease-19 patient service centers in a similar geographic region. The mobile unit was well-received by patients and providers with an average of 9 out of 10 satisfaction scores and allowed for access to urine drug testing for 67% patients who would not have received testing during this time frame. No statistically significant differences were found in substance use positivity rates in comparison to pre-coronavirus disease findings; however, some shifts in use included higher rates of fentanyl and opioid positivity and reductions in tetrahydrocannabinol and cocaine use in the mobile collections setting. Deployment of mobile collection services during the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic has shown to be an effective mechanism for supporting patients suffering from substance use disorder, allowing for access to care of this often stigmatized, vulnerable population.