Substance abuse : official publication of the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse
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Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are designed to improve patient satisfaction and increase access to treatment. In a typical SMA, 6-12 patients with similar diagnoses attend a group appointment with their health care providers, often lasting 60-120 minutes. All components of an individual visit are completed, and additional time is spent providing education and facilitating peer support. The aim of this study was to report on patient and program outcomes after implementation of SMA-based office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine. ⋯ Implementation of an SMA-based buprenorphine program was feasible, with treatment outcomes comparable to traditional models of care. More research is needed to explore the impact of SMA on buprenorphine treatment.