University of Michigan researchers have been given a grant to study the effectiveness of using smartphones as part of a treatment plan for those with substance abuse disorders.
Researchers from the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry have been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to launch what’s being called a digital contingency treatment program. In plain speak, Dr. Lara Coughlin, an assistant professor and clinical psychologist with the University of Michigan Addiction Center, says the study aims to reward recovering addicts for their positive behaviors like taking medication or engaging in treatment with financial rewards.
“When we offer people the choice between $10 or using a substance in that moment, that might actually help to nudge them towards not using the substance,” Coughlin said.
The program addresses health inequities, like a lack of access to care due to transportation or other issues, by offering easy handheld access to care.
The U of M will be piloting the incentive program statewide.
