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Using text messages to support recovering substance misusers
McClelland, Gabrielle T. Duffy, P. Davda, P.
McClelland, Gabrielle T.
Duffy, P.
Davda, P.
Publication Date
2018-09
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Rights
© 2018 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
2018-08-21
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Abstract
The use of digital technology in health and social care is developing rapidly. It is
promoted in UK policy and research which suggests varied results surrounding its implementation
and outcomes. This article aimed to test the implementation and outcomes of a
short messaging service sent to a dedicated phone. The target cohort were drug treatment clients
in two sites in Northern England. Materials and methods: Through staff focus groups and
interviews with a small cohort of clients, the implementation and perceptions of the system were
examined. Results: Nineteen participants were recruited to site 1 (15 male, 4 female, average
age=37.7 years) and 12 participants were recruited to site 2 (9 male, 3 female, average age=40.3
years). One outcome that was of interest was well-being in treatment which, in this study, was
described as an overall sense of feeling better rather than just focusing on the rehabilitation
aspect of the programme. Other outcomes included: the successful completion of treatment and
any relapse or associated reported drug use. Discussion: The system shows some evidence of
its ‘social actor’ role; however, its implementation was hindered by staff citing that it called for
increased resources. For future implementation the use of client’s own phones may be considered
which may help to embed the system more fully in recovery planning and targeting clients at a
different treatment stage. Conclusions: Despite some indications of positive results for clients
and a perception that the system may have value as an addition to existing clinical interventions,
more evaluation is required to determine whether this system can be implemented in a drug
treatment setting.
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Published version
Citation
McClelland GT, Duffy P and Davda P (2018) Using text messages to support recovering substance misusers. British Journal of Healthcare Management. 24(9): 440-446.
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Article