Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT05325788

Developing e-Covery, an App-based Intervention to Support Individuals With Co-occurring Problem Alcohol and Opioid Use

This project aims to improve the health of individuals engaged in co-occurring alcohol and opioid use by supporting the maintenance of behavior change initiated in substance use treatment. Building on prior research, this study will entail a stage 1b pilot to test the feasibility and acceptability of an app-based intervention for individuals reporting co-occurring alcohol and opioid use. The intervention will involve modifying an app currently used in a research study to collect GPS information to send push notifications when individuals encounter self-identified place-based triggers. Thirty individuals completing substance use treatment will consent to use the app for a thirty-day pilot period and will complete assessments of intervention feasibility and acceptability. Using within-subject tests, the analysis will summarize participant responses to assessments and will compare the use of general messaging to place-specific messaging.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder Alcohol-Related Disorders Alcoholism Chemically-Induced Disorders Mental Disorders Narcotic-Related Disorders Opioid Use Disorder Opioid-Related Disorders Substance-Related Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

ENRICH Lab

New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, United States

About this study

Co-occurring alcohol and opioid use is a public health issue in need of attention and has been linked to various health concerns, such as motor vehicle accidents and drug poisoning and overdose. Individuals engaged in polysubstance use face myriad challenges in sustaining recovery after completion of substance use treatment and return to use after treatment completion is common. One challenge faced by individuals in early recovery is how specific places can serve as triggers for cravings that can precipitate return to use. Smartphone apps have the potential to curtail the effects of such triggers by providing messaging (or "nudging") when individuals are in locations identified as triggers of return to use. To date, research on app-based interventions has yet to examine the effect of such "nudging" independently and has not looked at its effectiveness in addressing co-occurring alcohol and opioid use.

This project aims to improve the health of individuals engaged in co-occurring alcohol and opioid use by supporting the maintenance of behavior change initiated in substance use treatment. Building on prior research, this study will entail a stage 1b pilot to test the feasibility and acceptability of an app-based intervention for individuals reporting co-occurring alcohol and opioid use. The intervention will involve modifying an app currently used in a research study to collect GPS information to send push notifications when individuals encounter self-identified place-based triggers. Thirty individuals completing substance use treatment will consent to use the app for a thirty-day pilot period and will complete assessments of intervention feasibility and acceptability. Using within-subject tests, the analysis will summarize participant responses to assessments and will compare the use of general messaging to place-specific messaging.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • speak English
  • report enrollment in a substance use treatment program at baseline
  • report use above the screening tool thresholds for problem alcohol use
  • own a smartphone
  • reside in Connecticut at baseline with no plans to move in the following month

Exclusion criteria

  • Inability to consent

Treatment and study plan

e-Covery

Other

Through the e-Covery app, participants will receive place-specific messages, sent when participants pass locations identified as triggers.

Comparator Condition

Other

Through the e-Covery app, participants will receive a single general message sent daily in the morning.

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility of the e-Covery app measured by average time spent using the app assessed at day 28

    Time frame: Day 28

    Feasibility is assessed by average time spent using the app, measured through app usage metrics. More time spent using the app indicates more engagement.

  2. Feasibility of the e-Covery app assessed through qualitative interviews

    Time frame: Day 28

    Feasibility is assessed based on participant responses to questions during an interview taking place after the 28-day pilot period. Participants will be asked about the ease of using the e-Covery app and responses will be coded and analyzed to identify themes related to feasibility. Qualitative findings will be compared to the quantitative findings above using an integrated analysis characteristics of mixed methods approaches.

  3. Average acceptability rating of the e-Covery app measured by 5-point Likert scale

    Time frame: up to Day 28

    Average acceptability is assessed at Days 14 and 28 based on participants' opinion of and satisfaction with the intervention, measured through completion of daily surveys assessing elements of acceptability using Likert scale response options. Higher ratings correspond to higher intervention acceptability. Intent of the outcome measure is to assess the average score from Day 1 through Day 14 compared to the average score from Day 15 through Day 28 to compare the average ratings between conditions.

  4. Acceptability of the e-Covery app assessed through qualitative interviews

    Time frame: Day 28

    Acceptability is assessed based on participant responses to questions during an interview taking place after the 28-day pilot period. Participants will be asked about their satisfaction with the e-Covery app and intervention and responses will be coded and analyzed to identify themes related to acceptability. Qualitative findings will be compared to the quantitative findings above using an integrated analysis characteristics of mixed methods approaches.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Apr 13, 2022
Registry last updated
Feb 16, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.