Milward, J., Day, E., Wadsworth, E., Strang, J., & Lynskey, M (2015). Mobile phone ownership, usage and readiness to use by patients in drug treatment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 146, 111-115. PMID: 25468818.
Although smartphone applications to treat substance abuse are proliferating, there is little information on patterns of use and the availability of smartphones for this population. This cross-sectional study surveyed 398 patients receiving opioid substitution therapy in the United Kingdom. Participants were predominately unemployed, adult, males. Eighteen percent were homeless and 12% had been released from incarceration during the last month. While 87% of participants owned mobile phones, only 57% owned smartphones. Two-thirds of participants had pay-as-you-go contracts. These contracts varied in their provision of texting and data. Roughly half of participants had plans that included text messaging. The majority of participants were willing to let treatment providers contact them via mobile phone. Using geo-location for treatment to track or provide alerts for high-risk locations was seen as less acceptable. Forty-six percent of participants found the use of geo-location in treatment unacceptable. Employment and housing were both significant predictors of smartphone ownership as participants with a job and housing were more likely to own a smartphone.