Augmenting Meds With Phone App Boosts Opioid Addiction Recovery Success
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2025 -- Augmenting medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with smartphone app-based contingency management (CM) is beneficial for uninsured or underinsured adults, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Elise N. Marino, Ph.D., from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and colleagues examined whether augmenting MOUD with app-based CM is associated with days of opioid use at the end of treatment in a retrospective cohort study. The cohort included 600 individuals aged 18 years or older who were uninsured or underinsured and chose to receive MOUD only or MOUD plus CM delivered via a smartphone app (300 in each treatment group). On achieving their self-chosen recovery goals, participants who chose to receive app-based CM received monetary incentives.
The researchers found that compared with those who chose to receive MOUD only, those who chose to receive MOUD plus app-based CM reported significantly fewer days of opioid use at the end of treatment (mean duration, 8.4 versus 12.0 days; β = −6.10). Patients who chose to receive MOUD plus app-based CM were more likely to stay in treatment for longer than those who chose to receive MOUD only, according to retention analyses (mean duration, 290.2 versus 236.1 days; β = 51.91).
"Despite the challenges of engaging patients in other app-based interventions, adding recovery-oriented, app-based CM may be one way to enhance clinical care and meet the growing needs of historically underserved patients taking MOUD," the authors write.
One author received grants from KIOS/Biomedical Development Corp.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
Quitting Smoking Tied to Recovery From Substance Use Disorder
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Quitting smoking is associated with recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), according to a study published online Aug. 13 in JAMA...
AAP Offers Guidance for Tapering of Opioids to Prevent Withdrawal in Children
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2025 -- A plan for tapering opioids should be developed to minimize withdrawal symptoms in children receiving opioids for five or more days, according to a...
Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to Increased Risk for Oral Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with an increased risk for oral cancer, according to a study published in the September issue of Preventive...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.