UT Health San Antonio released a new study revealing that a smartphone app used as supportive therapy in combination with medication helps reduce opioid use.
The group of 600 underserved patients showed that those who used the app along with their medication reduced their days of opioid use by 35%, compared to those who used medication only, according to the study.
“Recovery from opioid use disorder is possible. We are finding that we are always innovating and trying to find new treatments, add on treatments, but we know recovery is possible,” Elise Marino, PhD, assistant professor and director of research operations at UT Health San Antonio’s Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders said.
The medication for opioid use disorder includes methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone and are recognized as the only evidence-based treatment. When paired with the app, the participants showed an increase in how many days they went without use.
“I think one of the cool things is this app is available anytime, anywhere. They don't have to go into a clinic to receive the intervention,” Marino added. “They can do it whenever they could do it at 2 a.m. they could do it at 2 p.m. whenever they've completed that task. So it gives them a little bit more control over the intervention.”
The app from WEconnect Health CM is embedded in a recovery framework for the user but also provides different services like daily goal setting that are substance use-related or otherwise for their personal life.
“Essentially, it is really important that they stay in treatment. So the fact that this helped with retention was really important,” Marino added about the findings. “They were using less opioids by the time they were leaving treatment. So the length of staying in treatment is huge, because we know that the longer patients stay in treatment, the more successful they are in recovery.”
If patients did report to their providers that they used, Marino said that there were no negative repercussions and that they still continued on with treatment.
The study’s findings were positive, and Marino said they still offer the app to patients who are undergoing treatment now.
