- Workit Labs · Research
Research that moves addiction care forward
Workit Labs studies what actually happens when high-quality addiction treatment is delivered virtually—at scale, to underserved populations, in the real world. Our published research is openly available below.
Research at a glance
10
Peer-reviewed publications
9
Conference presentations
7
Research partners (NIDA, academic payer)
50k+
Patient records analyzed
About Workit Labs
A team of experts, advancing the science of telehealth addiction treatment
Workit Labs is the research arm of Workit Health. Our team—clinicians, data scientists, and PhD researchers—generates real-world evidence addressing populations and questions that traditional addiction research often overlooks: pregnant patients, rural communities, hepatitis C co-treatment, and what actually happens when opioid use disorder care is delivered virtually instead of in a clinic.
We share what we find. Every publication on this page is free to read and download.
Featured research
Two studies, two underserved populations
Our most-cited works address populations who have frequently been failed by the addiction treatment system: pregnant patients and people in rural communities. Here’s what we found.
- Perinatal Care
Supportive perinatal care: outcomes for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder in telehealth treatment
M. Justin Coffey MD, Maxwell Weng BSE, Cynthia Jimes PhD, et al.
A retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients enrolled in Workit Health’s telehealth buprenorphine program for opioid use disorder. We compared retention, perinatal outcomes, and treatment continuation against published benchmarks for in-person care.
- JAMA Network Open
- 2024
- n = 94
- Open access
Key findings
79%
Received continuous opioid use disorder treatment from enrollment through delivery
94%
Retained through pregnancy—meeting or exceeding outcomes from comparable in-person programs
100%
Tested positive for buprenorphine (medication compliance) in postpregnancy urine drug screens
- Rural Care
Closing the rural treatment gap: telehealth buprenorphine for opioid use disorder in rural and non-rural areas
Marlene Lira MPH, Cynthia Jimes PhD, & M. Justin Coffey MD, Cynthia Jimes PhD.
A retrospective analysis of treatment retention and outcomes among rural participants in Workit Health’s telehealth opioid use disorder program. Findings suggest virtual care can close—and in some metrics reverse—the rural treatment access gap.
- Telemedicine and e-Health
- 2023
- n = 1,816
- Open access
Key findings
52%
6-month retention compared to 35-41% reported in published studies of rural in-person care
98%
Of retained patients were adherent to their buprenorphine medication at 6 months
79%
Screened negative for other substance use at six months in regular urine drug screens
Research priorities
Where we focus
Workit Labs prioritizes research that improves our understanding of how to increase access to high-quality addiction care for populations that the existing system underserves.
Closing the treatment gap
Investigating telehealth's effectiveness as a viable, evidence-based modality for substance use disorder care across geographies and demographics.
Special populations
Advancing real-world evidence for pregnant and parenting patients, rural communities, justice-involved individuals, and patients with co-occurring infectious diseases.
Optimizing pharmacotherapy
Studying buprenorphine, naltrexone, GLP-1, and emerging compounds—including how dose, delivery, and protocols affect retention and outcomes.
Co-treatment and comorbidity
Integrating hepatitis C, mental health, and chronic disease care into addiction treatment without forcing patients to navigate fragmented systems.
Patient experience and engagement
Understanding what makes patients enroll, stay, and recover, including digital tools, peer support, and clinician communication patterns.
Health systems and policy
Generating evidence on cost-effectiveness, payer outcomes, and policy levers to scale evidence-based addiction care nationwide.
Published research
Sharing insights
Workit Labs publishes in internationally respected peer-reviewed journals and presents at conferences that guide policy.
- Publication
- Pharmacotherapy
What Clinicians Should Know About Kratom and 7-OH-Mitragynine
- Barrett E, Hendy LE, Lira MC, Coffey, MJ
- Annals of Internal Medicine Clinical Cases
- April 2026
- Publication
- Hepatitis C
Treating Hepatitis C Within Real-World Telemedicine Addiction Care
- Lira MC, Hendy LE, Tsui JI, Page K, Jimes C, Barrett E, Brigham S, Coffey, MJ
- Journal of Addiction Medicine
- February 2026
- Publication
- Technology
Characterizing app-based medicine for opioid use disorder treatment within the landscape of recovery-related smartphone applications
- Hendy LE, Barrett E, Jimes C, Coffey MJ, Lira, MC
- Addiction Science & Clinical Practice
- August 2025
- Publication
- Equity
Pharmacy Barriers to Receiving Buprenorphine Among Patients Undergoing Telemedicine Addiction Treatment
- Hendy LE, Hill LG, Olguin A, Barrett E, Jimes C, Coffey MJ, Lira MC
- JAMA Network Open
- August 2025
- Publication
- Outcomes
Virtual Backgrounds, Clinician Attire, and Patient Experience Preferences in Telemedicine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
- Lira M, Hendy LE, Olguin A, Jimes C, Mulford C, Davis K, Banks D, Coffey MJ
- Journal of Patient Experience
- July 2025
- Publication
- Pharmacotherapy
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Encouraging Signals for Treating Alcohol Use Disorder
- Lira MC, Barrett E, Coffey MJ
- Journal of General Internal Medicine
- April 2025
- Publication
- Rural
Satisfaction with Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Individuals Living in Rural and Non-rural Areas
- Hendy LE, Olguin A, Jimes C, Barrett E, Coffey MJ, Lira MC
- Telemedicine and e-Health
- March 2025
- Publication
- Pharmacotherapy
Early findings on home delivery of buprenorphine and retention in treatment for opioid use disorder
- Lira MC, Hendy LE, Liakas A, Turanchik L, Pritchard C, Jimes C, Coffey MJ
- Addiction Science & Clinical Practice
- February 2025
- Publication
- Perinatal
Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder During Pregnancy
- Coffey MJ, Weng M, Jimes C, Brigham S, Lira MC
- JAMA Network Open
- March 2024
- Presentation
- Perinatal
Retention in Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant People
- 2023 College on Problems of Drug Dependence Meeting
- June 2023
- Presentation
- Equity
Innovations in Small Business Telehealth Technologies for Substance Use Disorder: Automated Assessments, Electronic Health Record Integrations, and Medication Shipping
- 2023 College on Problems of Drug Dependence Meeting
- June 2023
- Presentation
- Outcomes
Chatbots: Increasing Patient and Provider Engagement in Substance Use Disorder Care
- 2023 American Psychiatric Association Meeting
- May 2023
- Publication
- Rural
Retention in Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Rural Populations: A Retrospective Cohort Study
- Lira MC, Jimes C, Coffey MJ
- Telemedicine and e-Health
- May 2023
- Presentation
- Rural
Retention in Telehealth Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Rural Populations
- American Society of Addiction Medicine 54th Annual Conference
- April 2023
Want to collaborate on research?
Workit Labs partners with academic researchers, payers, health systems, and government agencies. If you’re interested in studying real-world outcomes in telehealth addiction treatment, we’d love to hear from you.
De-identified data access
For approved academic and policy research, under IRB oversight
Co-authored publications
We've published with researchers at academic medical centers and government agencies
Real-world evidence studies
For payers, employers, and policymakers evaluating telehealth SUD outcomes
Press and media inquiries
Available for expert commentary on addiction, telehealth, and treatment policy