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April 13, 2026Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research1 citations

Using Routinely Collected Data From the Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies Database to Evaluate the Impact of COVID ‐19 Lockdowns on Trends in Service Delivery in Outpatient Non‐Government Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services

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ABAlison BeckUniversity of WollongongBLBriony LaranceUniversity of WollongongBWBradley WakefieldUniversity of Wollongong

Key Points

  • This research aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services.
  • Analyzed data from the Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies Database.
  • Examined trends in outpatient treatment episodes before and during lockdowns.
  • Assessed rates of unplanned dropout from treatment services.
  • No adverse impact on the number of outpatient treatment episodes delivered was observed.
  • Likelihood of unplanned dropout remained stable during lockdowns.
  • Telehealth played a significant role in maintaining service delivery during the pandemic.

Abstract

The introduction of COVID-19 lockdown measures did not appear to adversely impact the number of NSW non-government AOD outpatient treatment episodes delivered nor the likelihood of unplanned dropout. Our findings illustrate the likely role of telehealth in sustaining (and for some groups, perhaps temporarily increasing) AOD service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. This highlights the sector's resilience in sustaining care under challenging circumstances.

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Cite This Study

Beck et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69dc887f3afacbeac03ea5a2https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.70298
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