Mobile clinics for opioid use disorders: What they do and how they do it. A qualitative analysis

People with substance use disorders (SUD) face many barriers to receiving evidence-based treatments including access to and cost of treatment. People who use drugs face stigma that limits access to traditional office-based clinics. With the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality, mobile clinics reduce many of these barriers by providing harm reduction and on-demand low-threshold medical care.

In 2020 Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Mobile Addiction Services Program expanded a program called Community Care in Reach building on its success in reducing barriers to care and increasing patient encounters. In the current evaluation we conducted site visits to the four new mobile clinics and conducted one individual semi-structured provider interview at each of the four clinics. In addition, we supported a monthly learning collaborative of staff in four agencies involved with this initiative. The current evaluation used the RE-AIM framework to analyze the implementation of the mobile clinics.

Clinicians described many challenges and opportunities. The typical patient is unhoused, having a substance use disorder, and disconnected from traditional pathways to care. Clinicians are able to initiate people on buprenorphine largely due to the trust they establish with patients. Referral networks are facilitated by established community linkages. The philosophy of care is patient-centered. Mobile clinics provide a wide range of healthcare services including harm reduction, although finding a location to park and relations with police can be challenging. The workflow is uneven due to the model that is built on unscheduled visits.

This study provides insight into how mobile clinics address the gaps in care for persons with OUD and fatal opioid overdoses. Harm reduction services are a critical intervention and financial sustainability of mobile clinics has to be tested.