A study co-led by investigators at Mass General Brigham reveals that mobile addiction services can be implemented across multiple organizations and communities to bring addiction treatment, harm reduction services, and basic healthcare directly to people who use drugs, especially those disconnected from traditional care, according to a Jul. 28 publication in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The Kraft Center's Community Care in Reach was first launched as a single clinic in Boston in 2018. The program uses mobile clinics to provide care for individuals at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing. With support from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Kraft Center, the model has expanded to include six programs across Massachusetts.
Researchers assessed data from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024. During this period, there were 17,887 harm reduction encounters aimed at minimizing negative health, social, and legal consequences associated with drug use. Additionally, there were 16,117 clinical encounters providing care for a total of 4,645 individuals. Buprenorphine was initiated among 1,227 individuals; after six months (180 days), approximately fifteen percent remained engaged in buprenorphine-based treatment.
The study identified various challenges among the programs throughout the state but found that all programs succeeded in engaging hard-to-reach individuals.
"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, PhD, Senior Research Scientist at The Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research at Brandeis University.
