A primary mission of CTBH is to serve as a centralized resource for knowledge about evidence-based technology-based behavior change interventions targeting substance use disorders and related issues (including HIV and Co-Occurring Disorders). Exposure and the ability to successfully try out new treatment approaches increase likelihood of program adoption. To this end, CTBH’s Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) team is developing a repository of annotated summaries of the evidence for technology-based interventions described in published literature. This online resource provides an easily accessible synthesis of information for diverse audiences about the availability of technology-based interventions for individuals with substance use disorders, the empirical evidence in support of each intervention, and references to obtain further information about each intervention.
The Program Review repository is intended to serve multiple purposes, including:
- To help providers determine what programs may be appropriate for their service settings and client audiences and what infrastructure (technical and social capital) would be needed to support adoption
- To provide researchers with information to guide replication studies and other studies using technology-delivered approaches,
- To offer engineers examples of technology-based approaches to healthcare delivery to stimulate innovation and collaboration with researchers and providers, and
- To offer consumers alternative and/or supplemental intervention models
The current Program Review includes technology-based programs targeting substance use and co-occurring behavioral health issues for which there is published literature. Each program reviewed includes the following summary information: a) Program description, b) Technical platform (e.g., internet, tablet, mobile phone), c) Theoretical model(s) guiding development and outcome targets, d) Target audience(s) with which program evaluated, e) Evaluation design and methods, f) Settings in which program evaluated (e.g., geographic, service setting), g) Target Outcomes, h) Outcome Results, and i) Implementation history (e.g. replication/international/CTN).
The D&I team is working to expand the Program Review to included technology-based treatment and recovery support approaches for mental illness as well as interventions targeted to HIV and other chronic disease conditions such as diabetes. Near future iterations will include a searchable function to allow end-users to select for programs most relevant to their clientele/setting (e.g., teens, inpatient settings). Given the proliferation of web-based and mobile applications targeting behavioral health care, we anticipate that the Program Review will become an important go-to resource for consumers, providers and researchers looking to learn about evidence-based approaches to care.
See the Program Review on our website: https://www.c4tbh.org/technology-in-action/program-reviews.html