Östh J, Danielsson AK, Lundin A, Wennberg P, Andréasson S, Jirwe M. Keeping Track of My Drinking – Patient Perceptions of Using Smartphone Applications as a Treatment Complement for Alcohol Dependence. Subst Use Misuse. 2024;59(2):291-299.
This descriptive qualitative study reported perceptions of the usability and acceptability of two mobile apps for alcohol dependence. Researchers conducted twenty-one interviews with individuals recruited from a larger Swedish randomized trial. Participants were strategically recruited from this larger sample to capture all available demographic variability. Interviews were semi-structured and explored participants’ experiences using “Glasklart” (n = 11) or “iBAC” (n = 10) after the 12-week trial concluded. Generally, participants found that using these self-monitoring mobile apps made them more aware of their drinking and allowed them to have accurate and honest conversations with medical and therapeutic personnel. Participants also echoed the design of the randomized trial. They expressed the benefits of the apps as an add-on to treatment but found them insufficient to change behavior on their own. Both apps had technical problems; Glasklart did not send enough prompts to check units of alcohol consumed and iBAC’s portable breathalyzer displayed inconsistent BAC measurements. While this did not result in participants discontinuing use, it made individuals weary of both app’s accuracy. Overall, both Glasklart and iBAC were viewed positively by the end-users and increased motivation to change.