Counselors for those suffering from drug abuse need every tool possible to help patients help themselves. New research shows that counseling over the internet by video is as effective as traditional methods, at least in the short term.

"Let's just say the face-to-face contact would be a 10 on a scale from 10 to 0. We give this a 7.5. I'll take it," Representative Elijah Cummings, a Democrat from Baltimore, told WJZ news in Baltimore.

In the study, conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical School, patients enrolled in a methadone program that met via video conferencing online had 90 percent attendance over six weeks, compared to 76 percent in the traditional group, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Dr Van King, one of the researchers, told WJZ that they do not want to replace all on-site counseling, but that on-line counseling provided a way to expand the treatment options available.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 20 million people suffer from drug abuse, but less than five million receive treatment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there were about 83,000 substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors employed in the U.S. in 2006, and expects that number to grow to about 112,000 in 2016.