Contingency Management Using Smartphone App in Patients With SUD

BrightView

Status

Completed

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders

Treatments

Device: Smartphone app

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Industry

Identifiers

NCT04162132

7135-SRyan

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this research study is to test the acceptance and efficacy of a smartphone app (DynamiCare Rewards) for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) who are in active treatment and recovery at BrightView.

Full description

The purpose of this research study was to test the acceptance and efficacy of a smartphone app (DynamiCare Rewards) for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) who are in active treatment and recovery at BrightView (www.brightviewhealth.com). Patients performed self-tracking of their recovery behavior (e.g., counseling attendance, abstinence from drugs and alcohol) addiction recovery behavior using the DynamiCare app, which follows Contingency Management (CM) model of incentivizing positive behavior.

CM is shown as a highly effective, evidence-based methodology for improving substance use disorder (SUD) outcomes. It does so by activating the brain's reward and inhibitory systems through both positive and negative reinforcement using immediate, concrete incentives in a progressive reinforcement schedule. CM involves setting frequent (>1/week), objective goals (usually abstinence or participation in treatment), which patients can achieve to earn tangible rewards (such as cash or vouchers). The DynamiCare smart phone app (iOS/Android) uses CM to incentivize patients to attend scheduled appointments and to submit negative alcohol and drug tests as they are rewarded for these behaviors. The intentions of this project were to assess whether use of the smartphone app as an add-on to treatment as usual could increase treatment retention, increase the percentage of appointments that were kept, and if substance use could be reduced for patients using the app.

Patients were enrolled in the study on a rolling basis from Jan 25, 2019 to March 29, 2019 until the desired cohort group # was reached (n=108). The intervention period (period of time when patients actually used the DynamiCare app) lasted four months from the date of their enrollment.

Enrollment

108 patients

Sex

All

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

>18 years old
Substance use disorder (SUD) as a primary diagnosis
Have and use an Android or iOS smartphone with acceptable capability
Are willing to participate in home testing and use of the smartphone
Speak and read the English language adequately to understand smartphone commands and responses
Are willing to be randomly assigned to receive treatment with or without the smartphone app as an added feature.

Exclusion criteria

• N/A