Adding CM to MOUD using smartphone is effective: Study

Researchers have found that contingency management (CM)– rewarding desired behavior – using a smartphone application is effective in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). In “Smartphone App–Based Contingency Management and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes published in the December 2 issue of JAMA Network Open, researchers reported that augmenting medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with a smartphone app that financial rewards to patients for not using opioids was effective. Patients participating using the app plus receiving MOUD had fewer days of illicit opioid use and were retained in treatment longer than patients receiving MOUD only. Led by Elise N. Marino, Ph.D. of the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the researchers suggested that such programs should be expanded. Senior author Jennifer S. Potter, Ph.D. reported as a conflict of interest that she has received funding from KIOS, which makes a smartphone app to treat addiction, but did not participate in this study. The study was funded by Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study used the WEconnect smartphone app, a competitor to KIOS. The sample included 600 individuals, with 300 in each treatment group.