Supporting Patients With Stimulant Use Disorder During and After Hospitalization With a Mobile App-based Contingency...

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Digital Health
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Contingency management (CM) is highly effective for stimulant use disorder (StUD) but remains underutilized in clinical settings.
• Hospitalization presents unique challenges for patients with StUD, potentially disrupting treatment continuity and recovery efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel mobile app-based CM intervention for hospitalized patients with StUD.
• To evaluate participant engagement and recovery outcomes during and after hospitalization.

Main Methods:

• Recruited hospitalized patients with moderate to severe StUD for a mobile app-based CM intervention.
• Participants engaged in incentivized activities (counseling, drug testing, reflections) via the app, receiving gift cards for participation.
• Intervention duration was up to 2 months, including post-discharge, supported by an in-person nurse; engagement data and qualitative interviews were collected.

Main Results:

• Fifty-six participants completed intake; 69.6% continued engagement post-discharge.
• Average engagement duration was 33.9 days, with significant variation in rewards earned ($6.27 to $173.31).
• 89% of drug tests were negative for stimulants; participants reported CM enhanced motivation and focus during hospitalization.

Conclusions:

• A mobile app-based CM intervention is feasible and acceptable for hospitalized patients with StUD.
• The intervention aided coping during hospitalization and supported recovery goals, though engagement levels differed.
• Barriers included physical limitations, feeling overwhelmed, competing priorities, and technology issues, highlighting areas for future refinement.