A systematic review of remotely delivered contingency management treatment for substance use

Substance use and related consequences (e.g., impaired driving, injuries, disease transmission) continue to be major public health concerns. Contingency management (CM) is a highly effective treatment for substance use disorders. Yet CM remains vastly underutilized, in large part due to implementation barriers to in-person delivery. If feasible and effective, remote delivery of CM may reduce barriers at both the clinic- and patient-level, thus increasing reach and access to effective care. Here, we summarize data from a systematic review of studies reporting remote delivery of CM for substance use treatment.

We conducted a systematic review, reported according to PRISMA guidelines. The study team identified a total of 4358 articles after deduplication. Following title and abstract screening, full-text screening, and reference tracking, 39 studies met the eligibility criteria. We evaluated the methodological quality of the included studies using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality tool.

Of 39 articles included in the review, most (n = 26) targeted cigarette smoking, with others focusing on alcohol (n = 9) or other substance use or targeting multiple substances (n = 4). Most remotely delivered CM studies focused on abstinence (n = 29), with others targeting substance use reduction (n = 2), intervention engagement (n = 5), and both abstinence and intervention engagement (n = 3). CM was associated with better outcomes (either abstinence, use reduction, or engagement), with increasingly more remotely delivered CM studies published in more recent years. Studies ranged from moderate to strong quality, with the majority (57.5 %) of studies being strong quality.

Consistent with in-person CM, remotely delivered CM focusing on abstinence or use reduction from substances or engagement in substance use treatment services improves outcomes at the end of treatment compared to control conditions. Moreover, remotely delivered CM is feasible across a variety of digital delivery platforms (e.g., web, mobile, and wearable), with acceptability and reduced clinic and patient burden as technological advancements streamline monitoring and reinforcer delivery.