Virtual Care in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in the US, Canada and Beyond

Especially during the COVID pandemic the implementation of virtual solutions across medicine has increased. There is more acceptance especially in the area of primary care and the treatment of mental health challenges and substance use disorders. The overall development is slow. Especially comparing the US and Canada on one end and Europe especially on the other is complicated due to different systems. In North America the use of innovative technologies especially the introduction of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems is of great importance. It is used for billing and documentation services. Beside that there is an increasing amount of apps, which support the implementation of specific therapeutic approaches. The use of virtual treatment in the care of substance use disorders is limited but in part very innovative and applicable to the German healthcare system. As in Europe there is a very limited to no capacity for research and development. Especially the ongoing resistance through professional groups makes development and implementation complicated. A major question is the role of virtual solutions in the overall treatment trajectory and future role of professional qualifications. More collaboration internationally would certainly increase the success and efficacy of common standards and would improve existing systems of care significantly.