Community-driven digital solutions can transform addiction treatments and reduce the burden on healthcare systems

Drug use disorder (SUD) remains a costly and dangerous public health challenge, affecting more than 48 million people in the United States each year. The high recurrence rate (usually 40-60%) leads me to believe that we are not using traditional treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to win a war on drugs for those seeking long-term recovery.

The reality is that SUD (also known as addiction) is a complex disease based on biological, psychological and sociological factors that require customized treatments. I believe this approach must include integrating innovative digital solutions to help meet people on their recovery journey. Technology has the ability to revolutionize treatment, make it more widely available, provide more patient insights, and ultimately relieve stress from our already stressed healthcare system.

Community-driven digital solutions for drug use disorders

The days of a cookie-cutter treatment have passed. We are used to standardized treatments and focus almost directly on personal issues, but they work. We cannot continue to provide the same treatment chart and expect different results. Our scope of care for CBT as the “gold standard” has become rote memorization, damaging the SUD industry. We need to use more tools in our respective toolboxes.

We must develop new community-based digital solutions that are accessible and able to solve everyone’s unique problems. This is a way to enhance and improve treatment outcomes. we need to:

• Focus on the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) – View SUDs through collaborative lenses and focus on presenting SDOH issues with care disorders.
• Drive patient participation – Providers have limited views on patients’ lives. By providing 24/7 use of recovery tools, psychoeducational materials and support, we can ensure constant interaction regardless of time or location. When using reflection lessons, providers can look at the patient's life more broadly/
• Reduce health care costs – Given the high cost and high utilization for those with SUDs, implementing cost-effective strategies benefits everyone. By prioritizing preventive care and virtual options, we will use services like ER Reliance to guide people to address general concerns inappropriately.

Put these strategies into practice into:

• Scalable digital platform Easy to copy and deliver content on demand to support a tailored approach to personal experience.
• All-health model This considers physical and mental health with SDOH under an umbrella and with frequent multidisciplinary communication.
• Comprehensive content This is supportive and educational, while providing non-judgmental resources beyond SUD to cover life skills, nutritional needs, relationships, sleep, exercise, and other recovery and recurrence prevention content.
• Support network This utilizes peer recovery experts, nursing coordinators and community partners to provide local assistance when needed.

Digital solutions to improve care delivery

Technology has revolutionized most aspects of modern life, and health care is no exception. Where will we be if we don't access “MyChart”, test the results immediately and upload data to our phones in real time? These tools have gone from supplement to essential.

When designed with intent, purpose and clinical expertise, digital solutions can expand access to care, personalized support, and embedded in innovative evidence-based practices such as solution-centric treatment and emergency management to incorporate into the daily lives of people working for recovery.

Solution-centric therapy

Solution-centric therapy (SFT) is based on the principles of positive psychology. This is a goal-oriented approach that emphasizes solutions and positive outcomes. Actually, it looks like:

• Check the progress of your goals every day or weekly
• Content developed by clinicians encourages positive thinking.
• Diary of enhancing self-efficacy and celebrating small victories

By bringing recovery to solutions rather than problems, people are more likely to stay motivated and engage in care.

Emergency Management

If the term “emergency management” sounds unfamiliar, you may know the concept from your own life. Maybe you have a bed allowance every morning, or treat yourself after a large work meeting. Emergency management is a treatment that uses incentives to encourage positive behavior.

Emergency management is particularly effective in the treatment of drug use disorders and has been supported by decades of research. It is usually not enough to take full advantage due to automation issues, but by digitizing it through an application or a web-based platform, you can eliminate the problem and make it instantly and easily dependent on patients.

The convenience side promotes participation, and rewards increase participation, thus making treatment adherence greater.

On-demand therapy courses

Knowledge is power. Obtaining on-demand psychoeducation helps individuals understand the elements of addiction while providing them with strategies to manage triggers, desires, and emotions. These bite personalized educational blocks are culturally relevant and judgment-free, providing personal choice. Additionally, we can use emergency management and gamified interactions to enhance engagement and adherence.

Beyond therapies: Considering people’s designs

Technology is an auxiliary “recovery partner” that can support and encourage change while helping people encounter setbacks. This is a dynamic form of care that evolves with individuals. It alleviates stigma, transportation and provider time issues while reducing medical expenses related to ER/urgent care visits related to SUD populations.

The future of SUD treatment lies in dynamic, patient-centered and technologically enhanced approaches. As our understanding of SUD develops, so must our treatment options. Integrating these strategies into an intuitive, accessible platform can reshape the restoration landscape, making care more effective, compassionate and scalable than ever before.

Photo: Sorbetto, Getty Images

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