Enhancing Access to Methadone Treatment in Three HEALing Communities Study Sites: A Spatial and Geostatistical Study

Methadone treatment to reduce risk of opioid-related overdose is solely provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs), creating access challenges. Our team conducted a cross-sectional spatial and geostatistical analysis to determine the impact of opening new OTPs on geographic access to methadone treatment considering areas of high social vulnerability and minoritized racial and ethnic populations.

Before and after the new OTPs opened, we overlaid walk and drive-time service areas to OTPs with decedent residence addresses, calculated rates of opioid-related overdose by race and ethnicity, and ran spatial regressions to determine the relationship between travel times to OTPs and Social Vulnerability Index themes.

Following the opening of new OTPs, geographic access to methadone increased in areas with high burden of overdose in all three communities. The new OTP in downtown Holyoke improved walk-times for an area with numerous opioid-related overdose deaths among Hispanic/Latino residents. In the counties surrounding all three communities, areas with high percentages of minoritized racial and ethnic groups had shorter travel times to OTPs.

Through our geospatial mapping and spatial-statistical methods, we explored the effects of opening new OTPs on geospatial access to methadone treatment. Results can provide an evidence base to promote targeted placement of new OTPs.