Innovative NIH-funded $1.6M Alcohol Use Disorder Study Launched by DynamiCare
LAUNCHING SEPTEMBER 2020
New digital care program advances addiction recovery during COVID-19
DynamiCare Health, a national digital care program for alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, announced the first-ever randomized controlled trial to evaluate a digital care program using motivational incentives for alcohol use disorder in a Medicaid population.
Vermonters are more likely to drink alcohol and binge drink than residents of most other U.S. states (NSDUH 2018). Thanks to a federal National Institute of Health (NIH) grant obtained with the support of the State of Vermont’s Department of Vermont Health Access and Department of Health, DynamiCare’s digital care program will become accessible to the State’s Medicaid population to increase retention and alcohol abstinence. The program’s clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness will be evaluated in a $1.6M NIH-funded study in partnership with RAND Corporation. Launching in September 2020, the study will recruit 300 Vermont Medicaid members.
As a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, conventional clinics are challenged by the need for strict physical distancing among clients and staff. Digital care programs, however, are well-positioned to offer personal addiction telehealth services from home.
Dr. Scott Strenio, Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Vermont Health Access explained, “Vermont Medicaid is always interested in pursuing innovative ways for patients to access care in a manner that supports their medical needs while offering proven clinical outcomes. The ability to deliver healthcare for this and other common medical conditions in rural as well as urban settings through the clever use of an electronic application is the wave of the future.”
DynamiCare’s digital care program integrates a smartphone app with breathalyzer tests verified by selfie video, a smart debit card that blocks harmful spending, and weekly video calls with a certified recovery coach to drive healthy motivation and accountability. The program uses motivational incentives, an evidence-based intervention that offers financial rewards for healthy behavior. In a prior study, DynamiCare was found to double the rate of verified abstinence in an outpatient alcohol use disorder clinic.
Dr. David Gastfriend, Chief Medical Officer of DynamiCare, added, "Despite strong evidence for motivational incentives, their use has been elusive without insurance coverage. DynamiCare has broken through this barrier with multiple commercial health plans. This study is a breakthrough in deploying this methodology with state agencies."
This study is funded by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the NIH National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
For more information about this study please contact:
DynamiCare Health Press Contact
Alexandra Plante
Director of Communications
207-330-0555
ABOUT
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis.
The Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA), within the State of Vermont's Agency of Human Services, is responsible for administering the Vermont Medicaid health insurance program and Vermont's state-based exchange for health insurance.
The Vermont Department of Health has been working to protect and promote the health of Vermonters for more than 125 years. The department’s Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs (ADAP) oversees a network of health promotion, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services for substance use. Our mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate the problems caused by alcohol and other drug use.
DynamiCare Health is a digital care program that uses accountability and motivation to help people overcome addiction. Results from 3 clinical studies have shown DynamiCare to increase quit rates for opioids, alcohol, and tobacco by 2-3x compared to typical treatment. DynamiCare enables people to complete virtual substance tests through its app anytime, anywhere, through connected breath and saliva tests verified by selfie video. Members earn monetary rewards for staying sober, attending treatment (verified by GPS), and completing self-guided in-app therapy modules. DynamiCare matches members with a certified Recovery Coach who helps them stay accountable to their goals.
DynamiCare's innovative work has been recognized through numerous grants and awards, including 3 NIH grants and the $1M Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge. Their work has been featured in various news outlets, including the NY Times, WSJ, and CBS News. DynamiCare Health was founded in 2016 by Eric Gastfriend, Harvard MBA tech executive, and his father, David Gastfriend MD, an international expert in addiction medicine.
NOTE: Research reported is supported by the National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers 1R43AA026234 and R44AA026234. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.