Technology’s Role In Opioid Use Disorder Care with PHTI

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a significant public health crisis, affecting more than 9 million adults across the United States and contributing to approximately 80,000 deaths from overdose each year. The U.S. spends $111 billion annually on direct healthcare costs for OUD.

Despite the availability of highly effective medications, only 25 percent of adults in need of OUD treatment receive a medication-based intervention. Individuals with OUD face significant barriers to receiving medications for treatment, including limited provider availability, onerous and fragmented care requirements, medication availability and societal stigma.

The Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) recently released a report evaluating digital solutions designed to enhance treatment retention and expand access to care for OUD. The report reviewed both medication-focused solutions and digital wraparound solutions.

Join us for a conversation with PHTI Executive Director Caroline Pearson about the report, their methodology and their findings.

The conversation will be moderated by MATTER CEO Steven Collens. There will be Q&A from the audience following the main discussion.

Caroline Pearson

Executive Director, Peterson Center on Healthcare, PHTI

Caroline Pearson is the executive director of the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI), where she leads efforts to evaluate the clinical and economic impacts of digital health solutions. Caroline was instrumental in the design and launch of PHTI to accelerate the adoption of high-value technologies and raise the bar for industry innovation. Caroline also serves as the executive director of the Peterson Center on Healthcare, where she leads initiatives and grantmaking to fulfill the Center’s mission to create a high performing health system that delivers better care at lower cost.

Caroline is a nationally recognized healthcare expert, with a focus on healthcare technology, public and private insurance, state and federal health policy, prescription drugs, and aging issues.

She was previously the senior vice president for healthcare strategy at NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan research organization. In this role she launched a new department of subject matter experts who deliver actionable research and analysis to health plans, providers, biotech companies, patient groups and foundations.

Prior to her work at NORC, Caroline was an executive at the consulting firm Avalere Health. As the senior vice president of policy and strategy, she oversaw teams focused on policy, strategic communications and financial services.

Caroline sits on the board of directors for a non-profit, provider-sponsored health plan in Ohio, and she is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Caroline previously served as a senior advisor to the BlueCross BlueShield Venture Fund, a fellow at a think tank focused on the future of aging and a science and commercialization advisor to UChicago’s Polsky Center.

Caroline graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Government.