University of Wisconsin Establishes Substance Abuse Adherence mHealth Application

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS) established a mHealth app for substance abuse adherence mHealth application that is a finalist for an $100,000 grant award from the Harvard Innovation in American Government program.

The substance abuse adherence mHealth application, called A-CHESS, gives users a forum to talk to other recovering addicts, a panic button that notifies friends or family if the individual is having an urge to relapse, and a GPS locator to assist the recovering user stay away from risky areas such as bars.

“Deployed on randomized clinical trials, A-CHESS users are 65% more likely to remain sober after leaving an inpatient treatment service,” claimed David Gustafson, industrial and systems engineering emeritus research professor and the principal investigator at CHESS.

Since A-CHESS has possibility to make better the lives of millions struggling with substance abuse, the team was invited to present the app on at the Harvard Innovations in Government Competition on the day of May 17th.

A-CHESS, along with 6 other finalists, was opted among an entrant pool of 500 programs.

The award generates important national attention, as governments at state and local levels use the finalists’ concepts to drive positive change at all levels of society. Should the A-CHESS team receive the award, they could drastically improve the scope and capability of their app.

The developers of A-CHESS realized the smartphone is a strong medium in promoting adherence due to how accessible and functional apps can be for users.

“You require something like a smartphone app because individuals require getting into a treatment center to get help, but they require help afterwards too,” CHESS Deputy Director Fiona McTavish said.

Other characteristics in the substance abuse adherence mHealth application involve access to articles about addiction, games to distract users from negative thoughts, meditation music, quick tips and refusal skills, counselor messaging, questions that monitor their progress, and other GPS functions that let users know where recovery meetings are available.

Apps and mHealth present a distinctive opportunity to promote adherence, and positive self-care behaviors, as evidence by modern research.

Other behaviors that negatively impact the health, such as smoking, may soon be conveniently mitigated through intuitive smartphone interfaces and digital support.

Adherence apps also have possibility to improve access to care for several patients who may require care services outside of normal office hours, or those who can’t afford or access a provider when necessary.

“The current system is merely incapable of meeting the requirements of the people who are out there,” Gustafson said. “There is not enough staff — there will never be enough staff — so we needed to see what else could be done.”