Virtual Callbacks: A Smarter Way to Connect with Patients
For patients taking methadone for opioid use disorder, patient callbacks (also known as diversion checks), are a common practice for opioid treatment programs as a component of diversion control plans. Though neither medically necessary nor federally required, callbacks are intended to prevent the diversion of methadone from its prescribed purpose.
However, in-person callbacks can create unnecessary stress and logistical challenges for patients in recovery, often acting as another barrier to treatment retention. These check-ins require patients to return with their take-home methadone bottles within 24 hours, but they do not confirm whether the medication was taken as prescribed, only that the expected number of full or empty bottles are present.
Unlike blood draws, which provide objective evidence of medication adherence by measuring methadone levels, diversion checks function primarily as a deterrent rather than a clinical safeguard. While OTPs are required to implement diversion control measures, it’s worth evaluating whether current practices truly support treatment success, or if they unintentionally create barriers to stability and recovery.
One way to enhance a diversion control plan is by incorporating virtual callbacks as a supplement to traditional methods. When appropriate, pivoting callbacks from in-person to virtual can reduce patient burden while still supporting important objectives like urine analysis and revenue generation. The key is to strike the right balance—leveraging virtual options to improve the patient experience without fully replacing in-person protocols when they add clinical or operational value.
Why Callbacks Can Be a Barrier to Treatment Success
Callbacks are designed as a safeguard, requiring patients to return to the clinic at random, to minimize the chances of diversion. However, these in-person check-ins can create logistical hurdles for patients, including:
Unpredictable Timing: Callbacks are typically issued within 24 hours, leaving little time for patients to rearrange their schedules and preventing them from planning trips that might take them out of town for fear of missing a callback.
Onerous Daily Check-Ins: Patients are often required to call a designated number every day to check if they’ve been randomly selected for a callback, adding an extra layer of stress and uncertainty.
Transportation Hurdles: Many OTP patients rely on public transit or Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, making unplanned trips difficult.
Work & Family Obligations: Taking time off work or arranging childcare on short notice isn’t always possible.
Clinic Wait Times: Once they arrive, patients may face long lines, further disrupting their day.
When a patient misses a callback, it often leads to a reduction in take-home doses, requiring them to return to the clinic more frequently — or even daily — to take their methadone doses in person. This makes it more challenging for patients to focus on rebuilding their lives in recovery, and it can negatively impact their likelihood of staying in treatment.
For providers, scheduling callbacks creates administrative bottlenecks, adding to an already heavy workload.
The Shift Toward Virtual Callbacks
Recognizing these challenges, some OTPs are starting to explore virtual callbacks as a more flexible, efficient, and patient-centered alternative.
Virtual callbacks allow providers to check in with patients remotely via video call rather than requiring them to come into the clinic. This approach maintains the integrity of the callback process while removing many of the logistical barriers. The difficulty in virtual callbacks is ensuring the medication has not been tampered with in any way without a tamper-evident label.
Leveraging Sonara for Virtual Callbacks
Sonara’s platform takes an innovative approach to OUD treatment, making it easier than ever for OTPs to engage with their patients through a mix of in-person and virtual engagement — including virtual callbacks.
Sonara’s tamper-aware, patented methadone bottle labels allow providers to see, in real time, whether a bottle has been opened. This makes virtual callbacks more effective because providers can verify adherence remotely with greater confidence than a standard video check.
Here’s how it works:
Simplified Scheduling: Sonara’s platform helps providers generate a queue of patients to call and tracks the status of each callback.
Patient Notification: The patient receives a secure text message alerting them that they’ve been selected for a virtual callback.
Seamless Connection: With one click, the patient joins a video call with their provider via Sonara’s hybrid care platform.
Medication Verification: Patients hold up their Sonara-labeled bottles to confirm their doses, ensuring proper adherence.
Quick Check-in: Providers and patients discuss any concerns or updates, which can be easily documented within Sonara’s Clinician Platform, or OTP EMR.
Why Virtual Callbacks Matter
Traditional callbacks can be disruptive for patients and providers alike. Sonara’s virtual callbacks solve these challenges by offering:
Enhanced Medication Tracking: Sonara’s tamper-aware methadone bottle labels allow providers to verify medication adherence remotely, making virtual callbacks possible.
Higher Callback Participation Rates: Patients can complete callbacks conveniently from home, reducing missed check-ins and helping more patients retain their take-home privileges.
Simplified Scheduling & Documentation: Callbacks are scheduled directly within Sonara’s platform, eliminating the need for providers to track callbacks manually or play phone tag.
Reduced Wait Times at the Clinic: Fewer in-person callbacks mean faster service for those picking up medication and less friction at the dispensing line.
Potential revenue generation: Peer Support or Case Manager can connect with patients during the virtual callback for additional touchpoints and revenue opportunities, where applicable.
Embracing Hybrid Care Models
Virtual callbacks are just one element of an overall shift toward hybrid care, which aligns with SAMHSA’s recommendations around removing barriers to treatment for OUD. By combining in-person visits with telehealth, Sonara’s hybrid care platform streamlines patient access to treatment, ensuring they can connect with care anytime, anywhere.
Sonara’s remote patient intakes, virtual counseling, two-way messaging, and virtual callbacks help to enhance treatment retention rates, optimize administrative workflows, and improve patient satisfaction, without compromising engagement or safety.
Contact us today to learn more about how Sonara is making hybrid care a reality.