Study demonstrates the positive impact of expanding mobile addiction clinics
· Medical Xpressedited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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A study co-led by investigators at Mass General Brigham shows that mobile addiction services can be implemented across multiple organizations and communities to bring addiction treatment, harm reduction services and basic health care directly to people who use drugs, especially those disconnected from traditional care.
The findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
"Our model proved highly adaptable across different regions, and the successful deployment of new mobile teams demonstrated that street-based mobile addiction services can be effectively operated by differing entities, ranging from academic medical systems to community health centers," said senior author Elsie M. Taveras, MD, MPH, chief community health and health equity officer at Mass General Brigham and executive director of the Kraft Center for Community Health.
First launched as a single clinic in Boston in 2018, the Kraft Center's Community Care in Reach uses mobile clinics to provide care to people at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing. The model has grown to include six programs across Massachusetts with support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kraft Center.
When Taveras and colleagues assessed the impact of this growth, they found that from Jan. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, there were 17,887 harm reduction encounters designed to minimize the negative health, social and legal consequences associated with drug use. There were also 16,117 clinical encounters providing care to 4,645 individuals.
Buprenorphine (a key medication for opioid use disorder) was initiated among 1,227 individuals, of whom 15% remained in buprenorphine-based treatment after 180 days. The researchers identified various challenges among the programs across the state, but all programs were able to engage hard-to-reach individuals.
- Credit: Mass General Brigham
- Credit: Mass General Brigham
- Credit: Mass General Brigham
- Credit: Mass General Brigham
"Our findings reveal that the model can be expanded to reach and serve adults with very complex needs, and that the physical presence of mobile units can offer a popular, low-barrier access point for care," said Cynthia A. Tschampl, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research, Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Publication details
Cynthia A. Tschampl et al, Multisite Mobile Addiction Services: Four-Year Outcomes, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2026). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23060756
Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Key medical concepts
BuprenorphineOpioids and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Clinical categories
PsychiatryCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by Mass General Brigham Who's behind this story?
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