Homeless Care Management App (Link2Care)

University of Oklahoma (OU)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3

Conditions: Mental Health Impairment; Substance Use Disorders; Adherence, Patient; Health Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: Unlimited Smartphone; Behavioral: Smartphone Based Case Management (SPCM) app; Behavioral: In-Person Case Management at Homeless Recovery Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03399500

8525

HSC-SPH-15-0632 (Other Identifier)

1R01MD010733-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

There is a significant revolving door of incarceration among homeless adults, a population with substantial health disparities. Homeless adults who receive the professional coordination of individualized care (i.e., case management) during the period following their release from jail experience fewer mental health and substance use problems, are more likely to obtain stable housing, and are less likely to be re-incarcerated. The proposed study will use mobile technology to address these barriers and fill gaps in the understanding of the causes of the revolving door of homeless incarceration. This research represents a step toward integrated service connection and healthcare service provision for one of the most underserved, high need, and understudied populations in the United States. Smart phone apps that increase the use of available healthcare services and identify predictors of key outcomes (e.g., homelessness, re-arrest, medication compliance) could be used to reach hard to reach populations with histories of significant and persistent health disparities (e.g., homeless adults).

Enrollment: 403 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• released from Dallas County Jail in the past month
• plan to reside in the Dallas area for the next year
• enrolled in The Bridge Homeless Recovery Program
• willing and able to attend the baseline visit, randomization visit, and the 1, 3, and 6-month follow-up visits
• score ≥ 4 on the REALM-SF indicating > 6th grade English literacy level
• score >24 on the Mini-Mental State Exam indicating no substantial cognitive impairment.

Exclusion Criteria

• Cannot read English
• Under the age of 18

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

403 participants in 3 patient groups

Usual Case Management (UCM)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Group receives standard case management at the shelter

Treatment:

Behavioral: In-Person Case Management at Homeless Recovery Program

UCM + Smartphone

Experimental group

Description:

Group receives standard case management and an unlimited smartphone

Treatment:

Behavioral: In-Person Case Management at Homeless Recovery Program

Behavioral: Unlimited Smartphone

Smartphone Based Case Management (SPCM)

Experimental group

Description:

Group receives standard case management and an unlimited smartphone with the SPCM app

Treatment:

Behavioral: Smartphone Based Case Management (SPCM) app

Behavioral: In-Person Case Management at Homeless Recovery Program

Behavioral: Unlimited Smartphone