Understanding and Addressing Rural Disparities in Medication for Opioid Use Disorder: A Nationwide Analysis of Treatment Access and Initiation Patterns

Physician shortages, transportation barriers, and limited internet access are examples of unique challenges that impact the health of rural communities. When it comes to treating opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural settings, studies find that rural residents have less access to medications for OUD (MOUD) compared to urban residents. To address recent increases in opioid overdose deaths in rural communities, this pilot study seeks to understand the treatment barriers that affect Medicaid beneficiaries in rural communities with OUD.

The pilot study will utilize the 2021 Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytics Files to describe the prevalence of OUD and availability of MOUD among rural populations in the U.S. The study will also investigate the likelihood of rural populations starting MOUD treatment and seek to uncover distinct OUD subgroups within rural communities. Findings from this study will inform policies allocating public resources to improve the uptake of and access to MOUD in rural communities.

Babasoji E. Oyemakinde is an economist and postdoctoral associate in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine. He earned his PhD in economics from the University of Memphis and holds a master’s degree in economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His research leverages large administrative datasets and modern causal inference methods to evaluate the effectiveness of public health policies aimed at improving outcomes for vulnerable populations. His current work focuses on the community reintegration of individuals with OUD who are involved in the criminal legal system and on the impact of substance use interventions on labor market outcomes.