Skip to main content
ABCT 2024 58th Annual Convention Main banner
Psychology Tools Ad
Final Program


Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
Recorded Session
Recorded Session
Ticketed Session
Ticketed Session
Back

Symposia

Technology/Digital Health

Implementing Digital Innovations in Brick-and-Mortar Healthcare Programs

2 - (SYM 98) A Digitally Enhanced Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Program: Exploring the Impact of Applied Research on Process and Clinical Outcomes

Saturday, November 16, 2024
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: Liberty B, Level 3, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Body
 
Most digital health apps for the treatment and support of substance use disorders developed to date do not have supporting evidence of research conducted within real world, brick and mortar settings. One such app, Recovery Connect, has been successfully piloted within a large Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) provider, Community Medical Services (CMS), and is now undertaking a large-scale implementation across more than 50 clinics in 11 states, together with a concurrent research trial and ongoing outcome analysis.

This presentation will cover the key aspects behind the successful pilot and what was done differently in order to achieve positive treatment outcomes and substantial patient adoption. The pilot showed an increase in the between-session connection between counselors and patients: before using the app, 36% of counselors said their patients put skills learned during sessions into practice, a percentage which more than doubled, to 73%, after using Recovery Connect as part of their treatment. Overall, 95% of patients reported feeling more connected to their counselor during the pilot, with 90% feeling more accountable to stick to their treatment plan. The ongoing outcome analysis has seen a postive dose-response relationship between usage of the app and clinical outcomes (30-day retention rates).

The presentation will then describe a large stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial, a central part of this collaboration, whose overarching objective is to analyze both process outcomes (usage and engagement of the app by both patients and clinical staff ) and clinical outcomes (dosing attendance, retention data), as well as questionnaires on both clinician and patient satisfaction and acceptance of the Recovery Connect app. The protocol and early findings from the trial, which launched in March 2024, will be presented.

Overall, the presentation will explain how this applied research informs clinical practice, and ensures constant adaptation to the needs of the patient and continued innovation to improve outcomes at both the individual and clinic level. Collaborations between academic researchers, developers and clinicians are key to ensure that these interventions have a rapid, evidence-based impact on clinicians and patients alike.