Advances in the psychosocial treatment of addiction: the role of technology in the delivery of evidence-based psychosocial treatment

Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2012 Jun;35(2):481-93. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2012.03.009. Epub 2012 Apr 11.

Abstract

The clinical community has a growing array of psychosocial interventions with a strong evidence base available for the treatment of SUDs. Considerable opportunity exists for leveraging technology in the delivery of evidence-based interventions to promote widespread reach and impact of evidence-based care. Data from this line of research to date are promising, and underscore the potential public health impact of technology-based therapeutic tools. To fully realize the potential of technology-delivered interventions, several areas of inquiry remain important. First, scientifically sound strategies should be explored to ensure technology-based interventions are optimally designed to produce maximal behavior change. Second, efficient and effective methods should be identified to integrate technology-based interventions into systems of care in a manner that is most responsive to the needs of individual users. Third, payment, privacy, and regulatory systems should be refined and extended to go beyond electronic medical records and telehealth/distance care models, and support the deployment of technology-based systems to enhance the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of care. Fourth, the mechanisms underlying behavior change derived from technology-based treatments should be explicated, including new mechanisms that may be tapped via novel, technology-based tools. Such work will be critical in isolating mechanisms that are useful in predicting treatment response, and in ensuring that key ingredients are present in technology-based interventions as they are made widely available.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Behavior, Addictive / psychology
  • Behavior, Addictive / therapy*
  • Cell Phone
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Evidence-Based Medicine / methods*
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Motivation
  • Patient Education as Topic / methods*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Social Behavior
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / therapy*
  • Technology / trends*
  • Therapy, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Therapy, Computer-Assisted / trends
  • United States