The Treatment Development and Evaluation Core (TDE) Core of the CTBH is committed to serving as a resource for enhancing research processes related to the development and evaluation of digital therapeutics. During the first period of the Center grant we collaborated with 4 CTBH-affiliated research groups to investigate potential mechanisms by which digital therapeutic interventions for substance use and related conditions exert their effects. Briefly, five measures were embedded in four clinical trials. The measures assessed coping skills acquisition and use, self-confidence in ability to resist substance use and other risk behaviors, change in sensitivity to addictive and alternative, non-drug reward, quality and type of social support, motivation to change substance using behavior. We have also been examining various moderators of intervention effects. We have been publishing these findings from each trial and are are planning to publish a paper that synthesizes results across trials.
During our current funding period, we are planning to explore additional mechanisms and moderators of intervention effects. As part of this expanded work, we are interested in testing an empirically-derived 12-item measure of self-regulatory processes involved in health behaviors. We are currently in search of collaborators who are interested and willing to include this new measure in their intervention studies. We have resources to support this activity, both in the collection and analysis phases of the projects. Please contact Alan Budney, alan.j.budney@dartmouth.edu or Lisa Marsch, lisa.a.marsch@dartmouth.edu, if you are interested.
The TDE Core is also highly interested in ideas for other collaborative projects on digital therapeutics that are related to mechanisms of change, moderators of effects, measurement of intervention engagement and its relation to clinical and economic outcomes. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your thoughts and interests! The TDE Core of CTBH exists to serve the scientific community.