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 <title>MobiHealthNews - opioid abuse</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/tag/opioid-abuse</link>
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 <title>Patients that got a &#039;refill&#039; of Pear&#039;s reSET-O demonstrated high rates of abstinence</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/patients-got-refill-pears-reset-o-demonstrated-high-rates-abstinence</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;A &quot;refill&quot; of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/tag/pear-therapeutics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pear Therapeutics&lt;/a&gt;’ reSET-O digital prescription therapeutic for treating opioid use disorder is associated with high levels of abstinence and treatment retention as well as fewer hospital encounters, according to a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21548331.2021.1974243&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;study published in &lt;em&gt;Hospital Practice&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Most of the study’s authors are current or former Pear employees. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;TOP-LINE DATA&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Out of a group of 3,817 people who completed a 12-week prescription of reSET-O, 643 were prescribed a refill of another 12 weeks. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;For those who completed a total of 24 weeks of treatment, abstinence from opioids during the last four weeks was 86%. Those who didn’t input data were considered to be positive for opioids.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Researchers found more than 94% of patients received 80% or higher negative reports of opioid use during their second course of treatment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;An analysis of insurance claims found the 24-week cohort had a 27% decrease in unique hospital encounters compared with the 12-week group.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Sixty-four percent of the second prescription group completed all 32 core modules within the digital prescription, and 85% completed half of the core modules.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;HOW IT WAS DONE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;The study observed patients who were diagnosed with opioid use disorder and filled one prescription for reSET-O between January 2019 and December 2020 and a subpopulation who were prescribed a refill.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Patients were also treated with buprenorphine at clinics located in 12 different states. Researchers evaluated substance use through patient reports logged in the digital therapeutic and in-clinic urine screenings.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;They also performed a retrospective analysis of health insurance claims to assess hospital encounters, which consisted of emergency room visits, observation, inpatient, intensive care unit and partial hospitalizations over nine months following the start of the first prescription.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;THE BACKGROUND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Overdose deaths rose to record-breaking numbers in 2020, and synthetic opioids including fentanyl contributed to many of those deaths, according to a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2021/drug-overdose-toll-2020-and-near-term-actions-addressing-it&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Commonwealth Fund analysis of CDC data&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Pear’s reSET-O has been the subject of other studies. Earlier this month, a Pear-funded analysis &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/pears-reset-o-dtx-lowers-costs-enhances-quality-life-new-study&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;published in the &lt;em&gt;Journal of Market Access &amp;amp; Health Policy&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; found the digital therapeutic lowered healthcare costs and added quality-adjusted life years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Another Pear study from August found patients who used reSET-O along with conventional treatment &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/study-finds-pear-s-reset-o-could-lower-costs-treating-opioid-use-disorder&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;lowered their healthcare costs by $2,385 per person&lt;/a&gt; in the six months after they started using the app, compared with the six months before.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;CONCLUSION&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Researchers noted that data was captured directly by patients or clinicians, or recorded by digital therapeutic software, so that data came from a mixed population of patients who were at different stages of opioid treatment or may be using the digital therapeutic inconsistently.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Abstinence information was also directly reported by participants or derived from urine tests. The accuracy of the urine tests could be limited based on the frequency or timing of the tests. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;Though the researchers say the decision to prescribe a second course was driven by patients, there is a potential for selection bias in the 24-week cohort. Patients who requested a second course could have differed from the 12-week group, like being further along in their recovery.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;The researchers said further research could control for some confounding factors, like creating cohort groups for gender, age and location.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-d185bc55-7fff-1292-28ae-1d1402feadc6&quot;&gt;“These analyses suggest that in a real-world population, patients with OUD had higher engagement with a refill prescription of a PDT vs. patients with one prescription filled, and showed durable and high levels of self-reported abstinence and treatment retention,” they wrote. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;“Patients treated with the PDT for 24 weeks had a 27% lower rate of unique hospital encounters compared to those treated for 12 weeks.”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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  &lt;div class=&quot;label-above&quot;&gt;Enterprise Taxonomy:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

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</description>
 <pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:47:40 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>EmilyOlsen</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">150703 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/patients-got-refill-pears-reset-o-demonstrated-high-rates-abstinence#comments</comments>
</item>
<item>
 <title>Pear&#039;s reSET-O DTx lowers costs, enhances quality of life in new study</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/pears-reset-o-dtx-lowers-costs-enhances-quality-life-new-study</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/tag/pear-therapeutics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pear Therapeutics’&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; reSET-O prescription digital therapeutic for opioid use disorder lowered healthcare costs and added quality life years post-treatment, according to a Pear-funded analysis published in the &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20016689.2021.1966187&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Journal of Market Access &amp;amp; Health Policy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;TOP-LINE DATA&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Over 12 weeks, using reSET-O in addition to treatment as usual lowered costs by $1,014 and added 0.003 quality-adjusted life years compared with normal treatment alone. Treatment as usual was face-to-face counseling, buprenorphine and rewards for negative drug tests.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;HOW IT WAS DONE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Researchers used a decision-analytic model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of reSET-O from the perspective of a third-party payer over the course of 12 weeks, the length of one reSET-O prescription.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Clinical effectiveness data was pulled from a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0037496&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2014 clinical trial&lt;/a&gt;, while economic input included the cost of the digital prescription therapeutic, medical costs from a cohort treated with reSET-O, costs for non-retained patients and the expense for buprenorphine. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;THE BACKGROUND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already serious opioid crisis. Drug overdose deaths rose to record-breaking numbers in 2020, and synthetic opioids were involved in a majority of those overdose deaths, according to a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2021/drug-overdose-toll-2020-and-near-term-actions-addressing-it&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Commonwealth Fund analysis of CDC data&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Meanwhile, most people who need substance abuse treatment don’t receive it. According to a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29393/2019NSDUHFFRPDFWHTML/2019NSDUHFFR1PDFW090120.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;2019 report&lt;/a&gt; by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 21.6 million people ages 12 and older needed substance abuse treatment over the past year, but only 4.2 million received any.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Pear has funded other studies to test the cost-effectiveness of reSET-O. Last month, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/study-finds-pear-s-reset-o-could-lower-costs-treating-opioid-use-disorder&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;a study in Hospital Practice&lt;/a&gt; found patients who used the app along with buprenorphine and counseling lowered their healthcare costs by $2,385 per person in the six months after they started using the app, compared with the six months before.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;IN CONCLUSION&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;Researchers said using a decision-analytic model can be valuable to help stakeholders make decisions, but the model does simplify the “complex factors involved in the clinical and economic outcomes of patients with OUD.”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;They also noted a 12-week time span was limiting, since most people with opioid use disorder require a longer course of treatment. However, they also said many people struggling with opioid addiction don’t receive this much care, so there’s potential for even higher quality-of-life gains.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span id=&quot;docs-internal-guid-9e98b3ef-7fff-2b89-53ff-9c77cf634cfd&quot;&gt;“reSET-O + TAU’s [treatment as usual] economic dominance (reduced costs, greater effectiveness) vs. TAU alone over 12 weeks was driven by a reduction in medical costs observed in a real-world claims analysis of reSET-O-treated patients,” researchers wrote.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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  &lt;div class=&quot;label-above&quot;&gt;Enterprise Taxonomy:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;

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</description>
 <pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2021 17:41:19 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>EmilyOlsen</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">150619 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/pears-reset-o-dtx-lowers-costs-enhances-quality-life-new-study#comments</comments>
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<item>
 <title>Innovation in substance use disorder treatment: 5 Keys to Impact</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/innovation-substance-use-disorder-treatment-5-keys-impact</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/sites/default/files/u765/sofiadan.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 220px; height: 440px; float: right;&quot; /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About the authors: &lt;/strong&gt;Dr. Sofia Noori &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/SofiaNoori&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;(@sofianoori&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;) was a member of the 2019 Flare Capital Partners Scholar Class and is currently a psychiatry resident at Yale School of Medicine. She is the curriculum lead for &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.innovationtoimpact.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Innovation to Impact&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;, a substance use entrepreneurship program funded by the National Institute for Drug Abuse.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dr. Dan Gebremedhin&lt;/em&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/dangebremedhin&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;@dangebremedhin&lt;/a&gt;) &lt;em&gt;is a partner at&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://flarecapital.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Flare Capital Partners&lt;/a&gt;, a healthcare technology and services-focused VC Firm. Prior to Flare Capital, he served as a practicing physician at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a medical director at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan and an entrepreneur in the health IT industry.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;&lt;p&gt;Substance use disorder (SUD) has reached historic proportions with significant consequences. In the United States, roughly &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsq-reports/Assistant-Secretary-nsduh2018_presentation.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;one out of every 12 adults&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; has suffered from substance use disorder in the past year alone. When considering the impact from crime, lost productivity, and healthcare, SUD costs the U.S. over &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;$740 billion annually&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. With the ongoing trauma of the coronavirus pandemic and social isolation, Americans are &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-04-02/coronavirus-poses-added-dangers-for-drug-users-nora-volkow-says&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;struggling now more than ever&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; with substance use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Given these startling numbers, it&#039;s surprising that obtaining effective and lasting treatment for SUD &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/treatment-barriers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;is still a challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. The reasons for this systematic underperformance in diagnosing and managing SUD are not dissimilar from the challenges in treating broader behavioral health conditions – which &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/behavioral-health-innovation-two-years-later-why-adoption-taking-so-long&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;we’ve previously written about extensively&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. Our current system struggles with &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26520573&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;inadequate screening&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.recovery.org/drug-treatment/cost/#inpatient&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;unaffordable&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/americas-heroin-epidemic/road-back-officials-addicts-face-long-rehab-waits-n421661&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;limited access&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/the-irrationality-of-alcoholics-anonymous/386255/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;poorly tailored&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; treatment form factors. The significant unmet need in managing SUD has &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.modernhealthcare.com/government/lawmakers-hoping-overhaul-privacy-rules-substance-use-disorders&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;many calling for an overhaul&lt;/a&gt; as &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.forbes.com/sites/onemind/2019/06/24/taking-on-substance-use-disorder-as-an-employer-getting-it-right/#3454cfb7cee8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;demand for innovation&lt;/a&gt; from payers and employers is reaching a fever pitch.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thankfully, there is a growing cadre of passionate entrepreneurs who are utilizing innovative technology and service models to rebuild our SUD treatment system from the outside in. In our review of the landscape, we’ve highlighted five keys we believe are crucial for new entrants to effectively impact this population. We’ve also highlighted notable early-stage companies employing these techniques to improve the quality, outcomes and overall cost of substance use treatment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Access the population  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The access problem in U.S. behavioral healthcare is well documented, as a &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-NDCS-Treatment-Plan.pdf&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;staggering 89% of people who require SUD treatment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; do not receive it. A surprising and often overlooked statistic is that an &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;overwhelming 95% of this population&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, 17 million Americans, do not receive SUD treatment, because they are in denial about having a substance use disorder. The vast majority of Americans with SUD don’t identify with needing treatment. Thus simply providing access to SUD services is likely not enough to tackle this challenging behavioral health condition.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We encourage new tech driven entrants to not be overly passive in waiting for patients who need SUD treatment to access their services. To be clear, it is paramount to &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/26/2019-17817/confidentiality-of-substance-use-disorder-patient-records&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;respect patient confidentiality and anonymity&lt;/a&gt; when managing a SUD diagnosis. That said, we are starting to see SUD-focused digital health companies working with payers, providers and employers to proactively market their services and increase awareness of SUD management programs. We anticipate startup companies will increasingly leverage available population health data and analytics while respecting confidentiality, in order to selectively engage patients at highest risk for SUD.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For populations who do seek SUD treatment, roughly 40% of the population, or &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;351,000 Americans&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, cannot find appropriate treatment. &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2396562/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Long wait times&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; to rehabilitation programs, &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.addictioncenter.com/rehab-%20questions/cost-of-drug-and-alcohol-treatment/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;high costs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11470/improving-the-quality-of-health-care-for-mental-and-substance-use-conditions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;variable quality of existing treatment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; have plagued the SUD treatment industry for years. Solutions that can increase access to high-quality treatment by shortening wait times and increasing convenience for both urban and rural populations stand a better chance to add value in the industry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Multiple innovations have emerged to increase access and offer intermediate levels of treatment, including treatment programs that people complete from their homes. Companies such as &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.workithealth.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WorkIt Health&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://boulder.care/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Boulder Care&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.bicyclehealth.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Bicycle&lt;u&gt; Health&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt; provide substance use counseling and treatment through telehealth or online modules. These tech-forward new entrants are also experimenting with innovative ways of reaching potential patients through both direct-to-consumer and enterprise-facilitated channels. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We believe this new class of digital-first treatment programs, combined with respectful targeted marketing, will begin to solve our decades-old access and utilization problems.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minimize Stigma, Offer Respect &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stigma, specifically with respect to SUD, is &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.recoveryanswers.org/research-post/the-real-stigma-of-substance-use-disorders/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;defined as an attitude&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, behavior or condition that is socially discrediting. Several studies have shown the &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002204261004000403&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;language used when describing patients&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; struggling with SUD creates a stigma that serves as a &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6311321/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;hidden barrier to accessing treatment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. As many as &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/stigma/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;37% of people&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; do not disclose a SUD for fear of social stigma, which likely contributes to the huge proportion of adults who are &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016/NSDUH-DR-FFR2-2016.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;unwilling to acknowledge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; they may need help. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Society at large is not alone in its negative perception of people with SUD: Healthcare professionals &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/stigma/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;also perpetuate harmful stigma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; toward SUD patients. Doctors have been observed to avoid populations labeled with SUD for fear of unwarranted &quot;&lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.nap.edu/read/23442/chapter/4#36&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;dangerous and unpredictable” behaviors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our perception is that sources of stigma are rooted in the archaic notion that substance use disorder is a &quot;&lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5486515/&quot;&gt;moral failing&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/u&gt;&quot; In order to effectively treat SUDs, we believe innovators must also educate relevant populations &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5525418/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;regarding the defined physiological&lt;/a&gt;, psychological and social reasons why substance misuse and use disorder occur. By offering solutions that minimize stigma and create treatment environments that promote client dignity, innovators can dissolve a hidden barrier to care and increase reach and engagement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Innovative companies like &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joingroups.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Groups&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jointempest.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tempest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; are designing person-centered solutions that target stigma head-on. &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://joingroups.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Groups&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; operates freestanding opiate-use-disorder clinics that are a safe space for patient populations. Peer support and group therapy, which have &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK384923/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;been shown to reduce self-stigma&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, is a main component of the Groups treatment model. &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.jointempest.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tempest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, formerly known as &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hipsobriety.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hip Sobriety&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, is a web-based treatment platform, complete with blog and podcast, that normalizes open SUD discussion and promises to “put people at the center of their recovery.” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Treat the Whole Person  &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The umbrella diagnosis of “substance use disorder” is a not a one-size-fits-all condition. A simple SUD diagnosis can obscure the breadth &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-101/etiology-what-causes-addiction/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;of triggers, causes, comorbidities or risk factors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; that affect unique populations. Given the diversity of complicating factors, research suggests an individualized, person-centered SUD &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13011-019-0227-0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;treatment approach is most effective&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. A person-centered treatment strategy incorporates &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/introduction&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;associated behavioral health or medical conditions&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/u&gt; relevant &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1913691/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;social and economic factors&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/u&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13011-019-0227-0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;shared decision-making&lt;/a&gt; to engage patients in their care. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A key leap in person-centered SUD treatment is the development of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Medications such as buprenorphine, which prevents withdrawals and cravings for opiates, have redefined evidence-based treatment for SUD by targeting biological causes of dependence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/medications-to-treat-opioid-addiction/efficacy-medications-opioid-use-disorder&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;support&lt;/a&gt; for medication-assisted treatment grows, there has been a marked tendency to distribute these medications as treatment alone, when they should be prescribed &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/treatment&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;in concert with therapy or counseling&lt;/a&gt;. By opening &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mytownneo.com/news/20171008/cash-only-suboxone-clinics-fuel-fears-of-new-pill-mills/1&quot;&gt;high-volume, cash-only “suboxone clinics&lt;/a&gt;,&quot; some providers are ironically &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ky-news.com/suboxone-supposed-to-stem-kentuckys-heroin-epidemic-creating-a-whole-new-problem-cms-9371&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;mimicking the practices&lt;/a&gt; of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.healthline.com/health-news/pill-mill-doctors-prosecuted-amid-opioid-epidemic&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;original “pill mills&lt;/a&gt;&quot; – freestanding clinics with &lt;a href=&quot;https://drugabuse.com/featured/americas-pill-mills/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;irresponsible and illegal opiate prescription practices&lt;/a&gt;. Although MAT is an important component of treatment, models that overly focus on it may inadvertently cause more harm than good.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Early-stage companies such as Eleanor Health and 180 Health Partners are pioneering models of care that tailor treatment to specific needs of their populations. &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.eleanorhealth.com/about&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Eleanor Health&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; has launched tech-enabled SUD clinics in North Carolina and New Jersey, and deployed multidisciplinary, integrated care teams designed to deliver “whole person care.” Nashville-based &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://180healthpartners.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;180 Health Partners&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; focuses on pregnant women struggling with substance use. The company’s treatment protocols include traditional SUD care combined with wraparound services and peer support tailored to each woman’s specific circumstances, with the common goal of a healthy, successful pregnancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Minimize harm from ongoing use &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Statistics suggest &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://drugabuse.com/drug-relapse/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;as many as 85% of patients&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; undergoing SUD treatment will experience relapse within a year of treatment. Despite the dogmatic belief that “&lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.pyramidhealthcarepa.com/harm-reduction-vs-abstinence/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;abstinence only&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;” is the correct approach to SUD treatment, the practical reality suggests patients will use again, and this discrepancy can undermine effective long-term recovery and safety. Stemming from this understanding, we’ve seen increased adoption of &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/harm-reduction&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;harm reduction&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;: the practice of anticipating and working to reduce risk associated with continued substance use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The benefits of incorporating harm reduction principles into a treatment protocol are threefold. First, harm reduction is an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3928290/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;evidence-based approach&lt;/a&gt; shown to reduce morbidity and mortality. Second, these practices align with actual patient experience, which is marked by potential continued substance use or relapse. Finally, harm reduction &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/harm-reduction&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;solutions are inclusive&lt;/a&gt;; populations who are early in their understanding of their substance use disorder can be targeted, leading to awareness and potential enrollment into a treatment protocol.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Provider and industry views on &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3675178/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;harm reduction are rapidly evolving&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; as we continue to deal with the dramatic epidemic of substance use disorder. Some public health examples of harm reduction are the &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32243234&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;increasingly widespread adoption&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; of naloxone kits to help bystanders reverse opiate overdoses and &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5129746/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;needle exchange programs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; that reduce the spread of serious infections associated with intravenous drug use.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are also clinical examples of harm reduction, where providers incorporate treatments and monitoring to temper ongoing substance use. One example is naltrexone, an FDA-approved medication for alcohol use disorder that reduces cravings and lessens the pleasurable effects of alcohol. The aforementioned tech-first SUD treatment company &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.workithealth.com/california-naltrexone/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;WorkIt Health&lt;/a&gt; offers naltrexone with appropriate therapy and coaching to help reduce a person’s alcohol use over time. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.dynamicarehealth.com/info&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Dynamicare Health&lt;/a&gt; is an early-stage digital-treatment platform that combines substance testing to monitor for risk of relapse with coaching and incentive rewards to support and motivate users through recovery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugpolicy.org/issues/harm-reduction&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;anticipate demand for solutions&lt;/a&gt; that preempt cravings, monitor for risk of relapse, reverse overdose and test for substance impurity. We expect early-stage companies to incorporate these strategies into their treatment paradigms for maximal impact.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Support the Lifelong Journey &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Substance use disorder is a &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J004v22n02_01&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;relapsing and remitting disease&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. The reality of living with a SUD means avoiding &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugrehab.com/recovery/triggers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;triggers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, managing &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07853899809029938?casa_token=GUonW_KrOEwAAAAA:4-9iK6VKzYIUO1kxqgPrboIQ3uMC-7XLpRWbiKFBTOm-dJpwR5pjMjmBro1IKE4v4hJE20UTFdxNhw&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;cravings&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; and struggling through &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553654/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;relapse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;. Like that of a chronic medical disease, treatment and recovery are often a lifelong journey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There exists, however, a mismatch between the current treatment system that operates in acute “episodes of care,” and the &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6487766/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;long-term support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; that most people need for lasting recovery. Our &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.asamcontinuum.org/knowledgebase/what-are-the-asam-levels-of-care/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;existing treatment options&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; – like a stint in rehab – are almost entirely time limited. There remains significant unmet need for long-term support services.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Opportunities abound to fill the gaps in the treatment continuum. Some specific examples of these services are patient navigation, on-demand support and fostering a lifestyle and community around recovery. &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sobergrid.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;SoberGrid&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, an app-based product, helps people in recovery create a community that supports one another in their journey. &lt;a href=&quot;https://thephoenix.org/about/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Phoenix&lt;/a&gt; is a remarkable &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wsj.com/articles/koch-funded-gyms-help-opioid-addicts-recover-1537110000&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;network of nonprofit gyms&lt;/a&gt; that bills itself as an active sober community, charging a membership “fee” of 48 hours of sobriety. Through fitness, the Phoenix helps its community abstain from substances while improving their health and well-being.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We anticipate early-stage companies will design solutions for a lifestyle of recovery. By providing continuous support and treatment, market entrants can drive long-term engagement and customer lifetime value.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Substance use disorder is a &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3202501/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;centuries-old problem&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt;, now reaching &lt;u&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2764311/epidemic-midst-pandemic-opioid-use-disorder-covid-19&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;epidemic proportions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/u&gt; in the U.S. The current coronavirus pandemic will only increase the existing need and demand for SUD treatment. As we address needs for innovation, there is an opportunity for new entrants to disrupt traditional models of care. By creating thoughtful, person-centered approaches to recovery, early-stage companies can reverse epidemic trends and begin to heal our communities. We believe these new tech-driven approaches will be key to creating impact and positively disrupting our status quo.&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2020 14:59:15 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>dmuoio</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">148266 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/innovation-substance-use-disorder-treatment-5-keys-impact#comments</comments>
</item>
<item>
 <title>NIH grant gives Roundtrip $252K to study impacts of transportation on opioid use disorder treatment </title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/nih-grant-gives-roundtrip-252k-study-impacts-transportation-opioid-use-disorder-treatment</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;Looking to the opioid use disorder space the National Institutes of Health has given Roundtrip, a software platform for organizing medical transport, a $252,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant in order to look at the impact of transportation on OUD treatment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Specifically, the study will be zeroing in on appointment show-rates and patient experiences. Roundtrip, the University of Pennsylvania, Lyft and Contra Costa Health services are joining forces to conduct the study, which will predominantly use Lyft’s ride-sharing services to provide the transportation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Roundtrip software was designed to help healthcare professionals order and coordinate a patients’ medical transport using a pool of available ride providers, whether they be Lyft drivers, facility-owned vehicles, volunteers or otherwise. The platform is available online and as a mobile app, and includes interfaces for providers and patients alike.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In order to be included in the program patients are required to be over the age of 18, be diagnosed with an OUD, report having a difficult time finding transportation, and be enrolled in an outpatient clinical treatment program. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“This study builds on prior research we have conducted to understand the importance of “transportation and how patients engage with health care,” Dr. Krisda Chaiyachati, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and a leading investigator in the study, said in a statement. “Especially with the opioid crisis spread across the country, innovations and partnerships are needed to explore how gaps in access to medication assisted treatment can be bridged, and we are looking forward to working with Roundtrip to explore how their technology solution might offer a meaningful impact for this epidemic.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHT IT MATTERS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the last decade we’ve seen America’s opioid epidemic spread. Since 1999 more than 750,000 individuals have died of opioid overdoses, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;CDC&lt;/a&gt;. The epidemic hit its peak in 2016 with 42,000 deaths.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Some patients with OUD opt for Medication-Assisted treatment, which combines behavioral therapy and medications to treat the disorder. In this kind of treatment, a patient may be taking methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone in order to treat the addiction, along with support from medical professionals, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/about-the-epidemic/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The researchers are pitching ride services as a way for people seeking such services to be able to easily get back and forth to treatment.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;THE LARGER TREND &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This isn’t the first time that companies have studied the results of medical transport. In &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/lyft-hitch-health-roundtrip-deals-bearing-fruit-systems-seeking-non-emergency-medical&quot;&gt;2018 NEMT technology company Hitch Health and Lyft&lt;/a&gt; announced the results of a year-long pilot partnership that suggest the joint service was responsible for a 27% reduction in clinic no-shows, as well as an increase in revenue for an internal medicine clinic in downtown Minneapolis. Similarly, Roundtrip also recently revealed that the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Camden, New Jersey, was able to reduce direct transportation costs by 30% with the service, and cut its no-show rate down to 4%.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2020 17:17:22 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>laura.lovett@himssmedia.com</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">148199 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/nih-grant-gives-roundtrip-252k-study-impacts-transportation-opioid-use-disorder-treatment#comments</comments>
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 <title>iTether Technologies, U of Arizona doctor team up on app for pregnant women with substance abuse disorder </title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/itether-technologies-u-arizona-doctor-team-app-pregnant-women-substance-abuse-disorder</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;Having a baby can be complicated and requires regular doctors visits and classes. Mix those challenges with managing a substance abuse disorder, and the result can be overwhelming. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;iTether Technologies and University of Arizona physician Dr. Maria Manriquez have teamed up to develop a new app specifically designed to address the needs of pregnant women who are also dealing with opioid addiction. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The app allows women to book appointments, talk to counselors online and message doctors. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Pregnant and parenting women who are in the process of recovery have so many issues to deal with,” Manriquez said in a statement. “Even with coordinated care, such as medical homes, a huge gap exists. This is especially prevalent when part of the ‘prescription’ includes medication, obstetric and addiction medicine visits, counseling, support groups and learning new material such as cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The tool builds on iTether Technologies care management platform, which helps people with substance use disorder improve care coordination. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The platform was one of the 10 first round winners of a competition run by the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and received a $10,000 award. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHY IT MATTERS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Both opioid use and infant mortality have been a major concern in the US in recent years. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Infant mortality rate in the US has outpaced other affluent countries including Canada, Germany and Japan, with a rate of &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5.9 deaths per 1,000 births in 2016&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Opioid misuse has also been increasing. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CDC reports&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; that from 1999 to 2017 there have been more than 700,000 deaths from a drug overdose — with opioids involved in 68 percent of those deaths. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Opioid disorder during pregnancy is related to preterm births, low birth weights, breathing problems and feeding problems, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/opioid-use-disorder-pregnancy/index.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;according to the CDC&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. The rates of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome has skyrocketed in thee last decade. The CDC reports that there are four times as many babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome in 2014 than in 1999.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WHAT&#039;S THE TREND&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The tech world has been developing tools to address both infant mortality and the opioid epidemic — though rarely overlap. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In January the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/looking-curb-infant-mortality-rates-columbus-ohio-pilots-demand-ride-app-program&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;city of Columbus, Ohio&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; will be conducting a pilot study where low-income pregnant women will be able to call a ride to travel to their doctor’s office and other health-related locations using an app or website.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/infant-maternal-mortality-how-community-input-tool-development-could-save-lives&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HIMSS and OurHealthCommunity.com&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; teamed up on the Infant Mortality Developer Challenge, which is focused on creating technologies to address infant mortality.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Scores of stakeholders are getting involved in the opioid epidemic, including the government. In December the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/fda-announces-eight-winners-opioid-epidemic-innovation-challenge&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FDA announced&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; the winners of the opioid addiction innovation challenge &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/fda-launches-innovation-challenge-help-stem-opioid-crisis&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;the agency launched last May&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Out of more than 250 applications from medical device developers, the FDA selected eight winners. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ON THE RECORD&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Often, patients have transportation or child care limits that restrict reliable and quality care. It is not easy as a full-time parent, employee or student to make and keep appointments, especially when there is no coordination in timing of visits for someone with a chronic disorder,” Manriquez said in a statement. ”The prototype could benefit the community by setting guidelines and developing standards that help providers deliver consistent messaging to patients.”&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2019 18:17:06 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>laura.lovett@himssmedia.com</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">145956 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/itether-technologies-u-arizona-doctor-team-app-pregnant-women-substance-abuse-disorder#comments</comments>
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 <title>American Well debuts next-gen telemedicine cart, partners with Netsmart on opioid addiction counseling</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/american-well-debuts-next-gen-telemedicine-cart-partners-netsmart-opioid-addiction</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;At HIMSS19, telehealth platform company American Well unveiled the American Well 250 cart, a telehealth cart that allows physicians and patients in a hospital to connect to a wide range of specialists. The product is the first fruit of American Well’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/american-well-acquires-avizia-plans-expand-acute-care-services&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;acquisition of Avizia in April&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; of last year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additionally at the show, American Well announced an expanded partnership with behavioral health-focused EHR provider Netsmart.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What’s the impact?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“It’s the first cart that says if you need to beam in service from somewhere inside your ecosystem, it supports that,” American Well CEO Roy Schoenberg told MobiHealthNews in an on-site interview at HIMSS. “[It&#039;s] like the traditional telemedicine carts and all that kind of stuff. But if you need to go and use the power of the internet and hunt for specialists in the broader ecosystem, we will do that too. So now all of the work we’ve done at American Well marries to the world of traditional telemedicine carts.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When a physician logs onto the 250 cart and requests a specialist, American Well will search for the first available doctor and send a ping to their smartphone in a process Schoenberg compared to how Uber assigns drivers. It will cycle through available specialists until one answers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition, the cart contains a suite of connected devices that the remote specialist can use to gather information and consult. And in addition to in-hospital use cases, it can be used in schools and skilled nursing facilities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The device will be available to hospitals and other provider organizations for purchase later this year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As for the telehealth company’s other news item, Netsmart will be integrating American Well into its EHR toward the end of providing timely, specialized care to patients with opioid abuse disorders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“One of the things we’ve learned is that [the opioid-addicted] population, more than anybody else, is very hard to catch,” Schoenberg said. “The moment that they’re interested in seeking treatment, if you’re not going to be there, you’re going to lose them. So opioid telehealth management is a very big part of the hope of the administration and everybody else.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What’s the trend?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;American Well isn’t the only telehealth player that made a big announcement at HIMSS19.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;MDLive &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/mdlive-launches-asynchronous-virtual-assessment-service&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;launched MDLive Go&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, a new asynchronous virtual care service last week that lets patients submit describe their condition through a text-based assessment and receive an emailed treatment plan within two hours.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And ahead of the conference, Teladoc Health &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/teladoc-healths-new-features-take-existing-clinical-workflows-virtual&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;launched two new features&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for health system customers: Clinical WorkScope, which allows hospitals to virtualize their existing workflows, fee structures, and referral networks; and Integrated Diagnostic Testing, which makes it easier for physicians to order imaging and lab tests in virtual visits.&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2019 19:22:23 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>jonah</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">145695 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/american-well-debuts-next-gen-telemedicine-cart-partners-netsmart-opioid-addiction#comments</comments>
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 <title>Telemedicine company aimed at treating opioid addiction raises Series A funding </title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/telemedicine-company-aimed-treating-opioid-addiction-raises-series-funding</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Yesterday morning addiction-focused telemedicine company Workit Health announced a new Series A funding round led by Blue Cross Blue Shield Venture Partners for an undisclosed amount. Other funders include Endeavor Catalyst, Montage Ventures, Lux Capital, Wakestream Ventures, Invest Detroit and RRE Ventures. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This marks the second funding round for the Californian startup. Originally founded in 2015 by Robin McIntosh and Lisa McLaughlin, the company’s first financial boost came in &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/addiction-recovery-startup-workit-health-raises-11m-expand-digital-counseling-program&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2016 when it scored $1.1 million in seed funding&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What they do &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Workit Health provides online addiction treatment to patients recovering from opioid use. The platform helps support patients who are on the medication Suboxone (buprenophine) or Vivitrol (naltrexone) and provides therapy. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The platform lets patients meet with their clinicians and addiction coaches through the virtual program. Users can also join recovery groups and complete addiction courses on their phone. Members are able to get personalized curriculum of tailored courses and set their own goals. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What it’s for &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a result of the funding, Workit Health will be teaming up with Blue Cross Blue Shield Ventures. The companies said the next step is to expand Workit Health’s treatment plan across the US. Currently it is focused on Michigan and California. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Blue Cross Blue Shield Companies lead the way in delivering access to innovative, cost-effective care, keeping client needs front and center,” Robin McIntosh, Workit’s cofounder, said in a statement. “A partnership naturally evolved from this shared value set, and our Workit Health team is looking forward to working together and delivering the results we currently offer at scale — translating to meaningful outcomes for members, and a return on investment for health plans.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Market snap shot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the past five years the rate of opioid-related deaths has soared. In fact, &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CDC reported&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 47,600 opioid-related deaths in 2017. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now the conversation around how to treat opioid addiction has come to the tech world. Even the federal government has started contests for innovators to address this issue. Last month the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/fda-announces-eight-winners-opioid-epidemic-innovation-challenge&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FDA announced the winners of its opioid addiction innovation challenge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. The agency selected eight winners from 250 applicants.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A November &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/rock-health-report-suggests-digital-health-could-tackle-traditional-addiction-cares-biggest&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rock Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; report suggested that digital tools could be one of the ways the country could address this epidemic. It went on to outline how technology could help with opioid-related data collection and expanding the scope of treatment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On the record &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“The stakes couldn’t be higher as the overdose epidemic continues across the U.S,” Lisa McLaughlin, Workit’s cofounder said in a statement. “For too long, we’ve relied on all-or-nothing, abstinence-based treatment. Workit’s combination of convenient, mobile-first, patient-led design solutions paired with a disruptively low cost enables more individuals to receive treatment than ever before. Our work with payors shows better outcomes, translating to material cost savings, meaning everyone wins.”&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2019 17:04:08 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>laura.lovett@himssmedia.com</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">145628 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/telemedicine-company-aimed-treating-opioid-addiction-raises-series-funding#comments</comments>
</item>
<item>
 <title>Customers can now get Narcan through telemedicine platform HeyDoctor</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/customers-can-now-get-narcan-through-telemedicine-platform-heydoctor</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;This morning San Francisco-based telemedicine platform HeyDoctor announced that its customers will now be able to receive naloxone, including Narcan, through its website and mobile app. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Users will first go through a text chat-based consultation with a physician on HeyDoctor about how and when to use the medication, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The prescription can then be sent to a mail-order pharmacy or local pharmacy for pickup. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Why it matters &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Within the last decade the rate of opioid-related deaths has sky rocketed. In 2017 the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CDC reported&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; that opioids were involved in 47,600 overdose deaths or 67.8 percent of all overdose deaths that year. One of the factors to which the agency attributes the high death rate is synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl. Prescription opioids also continue to be involved in a substantial portion of deaths, according to the CDC. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Naloxone has the ability to reverse opioid overdoses and can restore normal respiration to someone whose breathing has slowed or stopped, according to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/opioid-overdose-reversal-naloxone-narcan-evzio&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;National Institutes of Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities/opioid-overdose-prevention/naloxone-advisory.html&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; released a statement reccomendng naloxone to anyone on a high dose of opioids, or who uses any kind of opioid, as well as to healthcare practioners and family and friends of individuals with an opioid use disorder. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What&#039;s the trend&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the last few years scores of tech companies have come out with platforms designed to address the opioid epidemic. A November &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/rock-health-report-suggests-digital-health-could-tackle-traditional-addiction-cares-biggest&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rock Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; report suggested that digital tools could be key to tackling the crisis. It went on to outline how technology could help with opioid-related data collection and expanding the scope of treatment. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Last month the &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/fda-announces-eight-winners-opioid-epidemic-innovation-challenge&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FDA announced the winners of its opioid addiction innovation challenge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. The agency selected eight winners from had 250 applicants. The technologies included everything from smart pill bottles designed to prevent overdosing and sharing to a company working on virtual reality for chronic pain as an alternative to opioids. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On the record&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We’ve added naloxone prescriptions and delivery to our platform because we want to make sure anyone who needs it can get it,” Dr. Brendan Levy, HeyDoctor Founder and CEO, said in a statement. “For anyone living in rural areas without close proximity to a pharmacy or who may be concerned with asking for the medication in public due to the stigma associated with opioid use and addiction, it’s crucial that we do everything we can to remove those barriers. Having access to naloxone when you need it can mean being able to save a loved one’s life.”&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2019 19:36:27 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>laura.lovett@himssmedia.com</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">145623 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/customers-can-now-get-narcan-through-telemedicine-platform-heydoctor#comments</comments>
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 <title>Robert Wood Johnson Foundation names winners of $50,000 AI, opioid challenges</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/robert-wood-johnson-foundation-names-winners-50000-ai-opioid-challenges</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;The victors of two Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) pitch competitions were recently announced following a live judging session held at Health 2.0 in Santa Clara, California. There, judges named Buoy Health’s chatbot for patient health education the winner of RWJF’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.aihealthchallenge.com/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;AI Challenge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, while social addiction support platform Sober Grid claimed first prize in the organization’s &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.opioidchallenge.com/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Opioid Challenge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The contests asked their competitors to submit health-focused technologies incorporating AI or addressing substance misuse. Each began early in the year, and after multiple elimination rounds culminated with the final three presenting a final pitch at the conference for a $50,000 grand prize. The competition’s judges rewarded entrants whose offerings were deemed to have the most impact, potential for adoption, creativity, scalability, and design intuitiveness.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In his pitch, CEO Dr. Andrew Le pitched &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.buoyhealth.com/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Buoy Health&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;’s text-based machine learning platform as a more helpful alternative for consumers prone to Googling their symptoms. While the system doesn’t offer a hard diagnosis, Buoy references a database of thousands of clinical encounters to give users a rough idea of what they may be experiencing and whether or not they may want to seek additional care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The company has been gaining traction prior to this win, with a &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/buoy-health-gets-67m-plans-work-payers-providers&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;$6.7 million round in 2017&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/tag/buoy-health&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;multiple new partnerships&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“The interview is dynamic and always adjusting to the questions you are answering. It’s a severe departure from symptom checkers that use very simple decision trees,” Le explained during his pitch. “After about two or three minutes we narrow the diagnoses down to three reasons for and against that match … and then ultimately, with our partners — employers, payers, and providers — show exactly what services exist for that particular triage.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.sobergrid.com/&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Sober Grid&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, winner of the opioid challenge, is a mobile app platform that allows those with ongoing or prior substance addiction to access a community of peers for support. However, the platform goes beyond just a simple social network by including additional features to help users manage their addiction. These include a geolocation-based treatment matching tool, AI-controlled notifications to friends or family members if relapse risk is identified, and automated outreach efforts from certified peer coaches.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We are in the midst of an epidemic in the US. We are losing a generation to this,” Chris Pesce, chief operating officer at Sober Grid, said during his pitch. “Effective treatment exists — treatments such as medication-assisted treatment and social and behavior interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and narcotics anonymous … but there are challenges to connecting individuals to care due to barriers such as lack of access, transportation, childcare, cost, and stigma that prevent individuals from reaching out for help. We built Sober Grid to address these challenges.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Second place winners for the two challenge — to whom a $15,000 prize was awarded — were INF Robotics’ RUDY, an AI-backed assistive robot marketed to home care agencies, and Data Cubed’s ResQ, a gamified data collection app that warns support networks when it identifies signs of potential relapse among users. Earning the third place, $10,000 prizes was Patient Price, a service that helps patients better seek affordable and high-quality care using artificial intelligence, and Hashtag’s connected wristband that continually detects for overdoses using blood oxygen level sensors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style=&quot;position: relative; display: block; max-width: 100%;&quot;&gt;
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&lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; mozallowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;//players.brightcove.net/1824526989001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5836541759001&quot; style=&quot;position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%;&quot; webkitallowfullscreen=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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&lt;h2&gt;Focus on Innovation&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In September, we take a deep dive into the cutting-edge development and disruption of healthcare innovation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;input class=&quot;btn btn-danger btn-lg&quot; in=&quot;&quot; onclick=&quot;location.href = &#039;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/projects/healthcare-innovation-solving-problems-and-improving-patient-experience&#039;;&quot; value=&quot;DIVE IN&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:48:25 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>dmuoio</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">144947 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/robert-wood-johnson-foundation-names-winners-50000-ai-opioid-challenges#comments</comments>
</item>
<item>
 <title>Instagram now surfaces substance misuse resources for relevant searches</title>
 <link>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/instagram-now-surfaces-substance-misuse-resources-relevant-searches</link>
 <description>&lt;div class=&quot;field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-items&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;field-item even&quot; property=&quot;content:encoded&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/sites/default/files/u765/photo0.jpg&quot; style=&quot;width: 320px; height: 569px; float: right;&quot; /&gt;Following in the footsteps of its parent company, Instagram is looking reduce its potential role in the ongoing opioid epidemic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Whenever a user searches a drug or substance-related term on the platform, they will now be served a popup that includes &lt;a href=&quot;https://help.instagram.com/560234841062056&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;a link to addiction and drug misuse resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. Should users click through the popup alert, Instagram redirects to a webpage asking users whether they or someone they know has a problem with opioids or other substances.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Through these, the user can view a number of resources including free and anonymous support hotlines, a treatment facility locator, external educational materials, and other suggestions. Should the user indicate that their acquaintance may be affected by misuse, the support page includes suggestions on how best to provide both direct or indirect support.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;The opioid epidemic is an issue that affects millions of people, and we want to use our platform to offer resources to those who need it — in the places where they are seeking help. This is an important step for us in our ongoing commitment to make Instagram the kindest, safest social network,” Karina Newton, Instagram’s head of public policy, said in a statement &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nicolenguyen/instagram-opioid-support#.gke1VVyXq6&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;cited by BuzzFeed News&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The notification is currently live in the US and will soon launch worldwide, according to BuzzFeed News.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Social media has been the recipient of some &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Speeches/ucm603651.htm&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;harsh criticism from the FDA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, congress, and others over its enablement of illicit drug activities. As such, this effort from the social media company isn’t too surprising, especially after its parent company &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/facebook-will-direct-users-searching-opioids-toward-addiction-resources&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Facebook launched a similar feature&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; just months ago seeking to limit substance abuse content on their platforms and in the real world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Both Instagram and Facebook have similar support pages in place for other potential health issues, such as &lt;a href=&quot;https://help.instagram.com/553490068054878&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;self-injury&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/facebook-shares-updates-use-ai-suicide-prevention&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;suicide prevention&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. At one point, Facebook was also &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/digital-health-news-briefs-4918&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;reportedly considering&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; partnerships with US health organizations to share anonymized patient data for medical research purposes.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS:
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--&gt;
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</description>
 <pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 2018 20:09:19 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>dmuoio</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">144916 at https://www.mobihealthnews.com</guid>
 <comments>https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/instagram-now-surfaces-substance-misuse-resources-relevant-searches#comments</comments>
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