Technology Improving Medication-Assisted Treatment in Primary Care
UCLA researchers and their industry partner Q2i received funding from NIH/NIDA Grant Number 1R42DA050398-01 to measure the efficacy and potential of specialized technology (OARS) in increasing availability of medication-assisted treatment, specifically Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone), initiation and adherence, and ultimately opioid abstinence, in primary care settings.
The Opioid Addiction Recovery Support (OARS) comprises of a healthcare team portal connected to a patient mobile application, to provide opioid related education, promote connectedness with clinicians, and track MAT treatment progress. This STTR Fast Track proposal will conduct interviews with patients that will inform optimal design of OARS and utilize a “stepped wedge” effectiveness design to assess the effectiveness of OARS in improving opioid agonist treatment outcomes in primary care settings and evaluate sustainability and return on investment.
About OARS
OARS is an existing Q2i company technology that has been in use for over 2 years. Early-stage feedback from patients and providers indicates improved provider experience, high levels of patient engagement, greater adherence to treatment plans, and increased program retention/reduced drop out. The solution is also improving coordination of care. This study will collect empirical evidence on these improvements.
| Features | Benefits to: | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Healthcare Team | Patient | |
| Utox Results | Tracking, visualization and trend analysis of test results | Analyze patient Utox, share with patients, increasing ownership of treatment plan | View and keep track of Utox results and encourage treatment adherence |
| Attendance | View of patient’s attendance and punctuality | Log and track patient’s attendance at appointments and group meetings; get consolidated view of patient attendance to spot issues earlier | View meeting and appointment attendance records to reduce missed appointments and encourage treatment adherence |
| Participation | Displays patient’s engagement levels | Log, share and track patient’s responsiveness at appointments and group meetings | View feedback from the healthcare team |
| MATRA | A dynamic risk score indicating a patient’s likelihood to dropout/ relapse | Identify most at-risk patients and flag for investigation/ intervention to improve treatment outcomes | Healthcare team gains greater insight into patient’s recovery; earlier intervention with at-risk patients improves chances of maintaining recovery |
| Journal | A daily feedback of patient’s emotions | View and respond to patient’s daily feedback on feelings, challenges, coping | Securely log and share thoughts, stay connected and supported between visits |
| Healthcare Direct | Secure messaging channel between patients and clinicians | Timely communication improves treatment adherence | Timely communication improves patient satisfaction, treatment adherence |
| Education Content | Repository of all digital assets relating to the program | Post and share informative documents and videos to the patient’s app to motivate and educate | View material relevant to the treatment plan such as relapse prevention strategies |
| Calendar and Events | Appointments and events | Easily manage scheduled patient appointments and reminders; improve patient attendance | View upcoming appointment, get reminders; improve attendance |
| Surveys | Create or upload custom surveys for patients to complete | Collect valuable data and feedback to refine / improve treatment protocols | Gives feedback to help providers improve services |
OARS Provider Dashboard
OARS Patient App
UCLA and Q2i are seeking primary care clinicians who run a MAT (Suboxone) program from their primary care clinic to treat OUD.
To:
Use OARS technology with their MAT patients for a minimum of 8 months
When:
The study has 6 start date options starting in 2020
Incentives available:
$ 6,000 per clinic
Free use of OARS technology post study for up to 2 years