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Even after making the difficult decision to get help for an alcohol addiction, finding appropriate treatment can prove challenging. Fortunately, researchers have created an entirely virtual intensive outpatient program for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and attained a high rate of successful completion. More information about this novel approach to treatment will be shared at the 48th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA)(1) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“In research, we focus a lot on developing exciting new treatments” said Matthew Sloan, a clinician scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. “But the reality is that most people with an AUD are not receiving any treatment. Specifically, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of patients with an AUD receive treatment. Part of the reason is that it can be extremely challenging to access specialized care, this is especially true in rural and remote communities.”
In the province of Ontario, for example, Sloan said the average wait time for residential treatment programs is almost two months, with many patients waiting substantially longer than this. “The impact of these delays can be profound,” he added. “For example, we may miss the window during which someone is motivated to get treatment for addiction-related complications if it occurs while the patient is waiting for a bed.”
Virtual treatments represent a potential solution to this access problem; many treatments that were once thought to require in-person care can be effectively delivered remotely.
“We developed an entirely virtual intensive outpatient program for AUD which would replicate the structure and abstinence-monitoring of a residential treatment program without the need for a brick-and-mortar facility. We employed take-home breathalyzers with data connectivity and facial recognition technology to monitor abstinence.”
The facial-recognition technology allows the treatment team to confirm that it is the patient and not a sober friend providing a breathalyzer reading.
Fifty-nine participants with moderate to severe AUD were enrolled into the four-week program. All patients received three different therapies: cognitive behavioral therapy (which includes strategies to manage alcohol triggers and cravings); dialectical behavior therapy (which includes strategies to improve emotion regulation and distress tolerance); and a health and wellness group.
The program’s successful outcomes included: treatment retention – 86 percent of patients completed the treatment program; changes in drinking during treatment – from 6.4 standard drinks per day to 0.8 per day on average; and utility of the breathalyzer component – breathalyzer adherence rates were around 90 percent, and 90 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that breathalyzer usage helped them attain their treatment goals.
His team will continue to investigate how to optimize post-program aftercare in order to sustain treatment gains and Sloan hopes to develop a similar program for other substance use disorders.
Researchers developed a fully virtual outpatient program for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) using therapy and remote monitoring with breathalyzers and facial recognition. In a study of 59 patients, 86% completed the program, and average drinking dropped from 6.4 to 0.8 drinks/day. The program improves access to treatment and shows strong potential for broader use.
Reference:
1)https://researchsocietyonalcohol.org/
(Newswise/MKJ)
