Contingency Management Using Smartphone App in Patients With SUD

Completed

• Conditions: Substance Use Disorders
• Interventions: Device: Smartphone app

• Registration Number: NCT04162132
• Lead Sponsor: BrightView LLC

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-01-25
• Primary Completion: 2019-07-29
• Study Completion: 2019-07-29
• Study First Submitted: 2019-09-25
• Status Verified: 2019-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-11-11
• Study First Posted: 2019-11-14
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-11-18
• Last Update Posted: 2019-11-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 108

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
DynamiCare group	Smartphone app	Patients at Morgan Street location of BrightView who were given the DynamiCare smartphone app.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Substance Use	4 months	The DynamiCare smart phone app was used to see if use of the app could reduce substance use as measured by urine toxicology results. Measured percentage of patients using the app testing consistent only for prescribed substances in random clinical urine tests compared to controls.
Retention	4 months	The DynamiCare smart phone app was used to see if treatment retention could be increased when the app was added to treatment as usual. Measured as the percent of patients who are still active in the DynamiCare app and attending treatment sessions after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months compared to controls.
Attendance	4 months	The DynamiCare smart phone app was used to see whether the percentage of scheduled appointments could be increased by using the app. As measured by % of attendance of medical and clinical appointments compared to controls.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

BrightView; 🇺🇸 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States