ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2018
Feasibility of a Mobile Phone App to Support Recovery From Addiction in China: Secondary Analysis of a Pilot Study.
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digital Help for Substance Users (SU): A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Current reporting of usability and impact of mHealth interventions for substance use disorder: A systematic review.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2020Pooled it
- Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Community-Based Addiction Rehabilitation Electronic System in Substance Use Disorder: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2021Trial
- Associations Between Social Determinants of Health and Adherence in Mobile-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Evolving role of the internet in China as a medium for promoting psychological well-being and mental health: a scoping review.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2025Review
- Application of digital health technologies to substance use reduction among students in higher education institutions: A scoping review.F1000Research · 2025Article
- Personalized Deep Learning for Substance Use in Hawaii: Protocol for a Passive Sensing and Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Closing the Digital Divide in Interventions for Substance Use Disorder.Journal of psychiatry and brain science · 2024Article
- Telehealth interventions for substance use disorders in low- and- middle income countries: A scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2022Article
- Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Systematic Review of Validity Research.Perspectives on behavior science · 2022Article
- PSIXPORT: Mobile App for Ecological Momentary Assessment of Psychological Dimensions in Sport Injury.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- The emergence of digital mental health in low-income and middle-income countries: A review of recent advances and implications for the treatment and prevention of mental disorders.Journal of psychiatric research · 2021Review
- Impact of Mobile Phone-Based Interventions on Methamphetamine Use and High-risk Sexual Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): A Systematic Review.Addiction & health · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMobile health technologies have been found to improve the self-management of chronic diseases. However, there is limited research regarding their feasibility in supporting recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) in China.
objectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of a mobile phone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) app by testing the concordance of drug use assessed by the EMA, urine testing, and a life experience timeline (LET) assessment.
methodsA total of 75 participants dependent on heroin or amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) in Shanghai were recruited to participate in a 4-week pilot study. Of the participants, 50 (67% [50/75]) were randomly assigned to the experimental group and 25 (33% [25/75]) were assigned to the control group. The experimental group used mobile health (mHealth) based EMA technology to assess their daily drug use in natural environments and received 2 short health messages each day, whereas the control group only received 2 short health messages each day from the app. Urine tests and LET assessments were conducted each week and a post-intervention survey was administered to both groups. The correlations among the EMA, the LET assessment, and the urine test were investigated.
resultsThe mean age of the participants was 41.6 (SD 8.0) years, and 71% (53/75) were male. During the 4 weeks of observation, 690 daily EMA survey data were recorded, with a response rate of 49.29% (690/1400). With respect to drug use, the percent of agreement between the EMA and the LET was 66.7%, 79.2%, 72.4%, and 85.8%, respectively, for each of the 4 weeks, whereas the percent of agreement between the EMA and the urine test was 51.2%, 65.1%, 61.9%, and 71.5%, respectively. The post-intervention survey indicated that 46% (32/70) of the participants preferred face-to-face interviews rather than the mHealth app.
conclusionsThis study demonstrated poor agreement between the EMA data and the LET and found that the acceptance of mHealth among individuals with SUDs in China was not positive. Hence, greater efforts are needed to improve the feasibility of mHealth in China.
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