Brandon Knettel, assistant professor, moderated the Think Global panel on "Telemedicine and Mental Health Support for People who use Opioids: Considerations for Treatment, Community Engagement, and Public Policy" presented by Duke Global Health Institute. A recording of the event can be found on YouTube. The event occurred March 17 at noon. Other panelists included Padma Gulur, Theresa Coles, Hilary Campbell and Nidhi Sachdeva. 

Telemedicine and Mental Health Support for People who Use Opioids (TeMPO) is a new pilot study funded by the Center for Nursing Research at Duke University’s School of Nursing and supported by the Duke School of Medicine Opioid Collaboratory. In North Carolina, opioids contribute to nearly 2,000 overdose deaths each year, making it the leading cause of injury death in the state. The COVID-19 epidemic has been a catalyst for developing telemedicine services broadly; however, early data are showing increasing incidence of opioid overdose and ongoing lack of treatment options, particularly among rural residents. In this Think Global panel, investigators from the TeMPO study team will discuss their past work in addressing the overdose epidemic and plans to develop new telemedicine and mental health services for people who use opioids.