We are pleased to announce that Dr. Allen Tien, President & Chief Science Officer at mdlogix, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Dr. Steven Procter, founder of PRO Health Group of Miami, will join Dr. Tien as dual principal investigator of the project. Dr. Proctor has extensive experience developing and implementing addictions outcomes monitoring systems for numerous treatment agencies, including opioid treatment clinics.
The 12-month grant will support development and evaluation of the “PROCare” platform, which aims to improve outcomes for people struggling with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The platform will provide both a patient-facing app and provider-facing dashboard. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted to test the preliminary effectiveness of PROCare among a sample of patients receiving addiction treatment through Thriving Mind South Florida in Miami. Dr. John Newcomer, President and CEO of Thriving Mind South Florida, will serve on the Advisory Board for the project.
PROCare’s patient-facing app will incentivize participants to complete tasks that could improve their chances of long-term recovery. These tasks could include daily check-ins to gauge cravings and motivation, participation in educational activities, or routine surveys to assess healthcare utilization, behavioral health & social determinants status, medication adherence, and occupational functioning. When patients complete tasks on the app, they will receive credits that can be redeemed for monetary and non-monetary rewards. Monetary rewards will be delivered through a pre-paid smart debit card that can block cash withdrawals and purchases from certain vendors.
The provider-facing dashboard will simultaneously offer clinical staff access to real-time, patient-reported outcomes data in accordance with best practices and national standards. Providers can then use this information to modify care plans or connect patients to additional support services, helping to mitigate episodes of substance use and other harmful behaviors.
Over the past several years, the mdlogix team has been developing technology to support patients with OUD, as well as the providers who serve these populations. Previous work includes NIDA and SAMHSA funded projects to improve intake workflow, reduce redundancy in treatment diagnosis and referral, and model best practices. The team has also developed features to streamline data collection and GPRA reporting for these projects.