Research Day
EVALUATION OF A CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT SMARTPHONE- SMARTCARD PLATFORM IN A COMMUNITY CLINIC
Document Type
Abstract
Date
2021
Abstract
Background: Contingency management (CM) is one of the most effective psychosocial interventions for increasing drug abstinence and attendance to recovery-related appointments, but it has not been broadly adopted withing the treatment community. A smartphone-smartcard platform for implementing CM was developed to overcome barriers to CM adoption and increase its dissemination and use as an adjunct to treatment.
Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of a smartphone CM service as an adjunct to traditional treatment provided in a Midwestern inner-city clinic.
Methods: A smartphone-smartcard platform allowing easy implementation of CM was offered to patients at a clinic in large Midwestern city. Patients who used the platform (N = 108) could receive monetary incentives for attending scheduled therapy appointments and for urine samples that were consistent with illicit drug abstinence and medication adherence. These patients were later matched and compared to similar patients at another center located in the same city that was operated by the same provider.
Results: Patients who received the intervention were significantly more likely to attend appointments and produce urine samples consistent with treatment goals than their controls. Patients and therapists reported high satisfaction with the platform.
Conclusion: Acceptance of the service was high and clinical outcomes were improved for patients using the smartphone-smartcard CM platform. Given its efficacy, ease of implementation and the convenience of the use of the platform for all stakeholders, this appears to be a promising approach to increasing access to CM and improving clinical outcomes.