ArticleJMIR formative research2024
Prescription Digital Therapeutics for Substance Use Disorder in Primary Care: Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Pilot Implementation Study.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04907045 (Digital Therapeutics for Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Pilot), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Digital Therapeutics for Opioids and Other Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Pilot (DIGITS Trial Pilot)
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence of Dropout and Influencing Factors in Digital Psychosocial Intervention Trials for Adult Illicit Substance Users: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Equivalent effectiveness of a prescription binocular treatment for amblyopia in real-world practice.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2026Article
- Strategies to Increase Patients' Adherence to Digital Therapeutics for Musculoskeletal Diseases: A Narrative Review.Yonsei medical journal · 2026Review
- Evaluating the Effects of Clinician Prescribing and Implementation Materials on Adoption of Virtual Reality Therapeutics: Randomized Feasibility Pilot Study.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2026Article
- Economic cost of strategic implementation approaches to increase uptake of digital therapeutics for substance use disorders in a large integrated health system.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Assessing the Satisfaction of Physicians in Using the Electronic Prescription System of Social Security in Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- Article
- Formative evaluation of the implementation of digital therapeutics for opioids and other substance use disorders in primary care (DIGITS trial).Implementation research and practiceArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDelivering prescription digital therapeutics (ie, evidence-based interventions designed to treat, manage, or prevent disorders via websites or smartphone apps) in primary care could increase patient access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatments. However, the optimal approach to implementing prescription digital therapeutics in primary care remains unknown.
objectiveThis pilot study is a precursor to a larger trial designed to test whether implementation strategies (practice facilitation [PF] and health coaching [HC]) improve the delivery of prescription digital therapeutics for SUDs in primary care. This mixed methods study describes outcomes among patients in the 2 pilot clinics and presents qualitative findings on implementation.
methodsFrom February 10 to August 6, 2021, a total of 3 mental health specialists embedded in 2 primary care practices of the same integrated health system were tasked with offering app-based prescription digital therapeutics to patients with SUD. In the first half of the pilot, implementation activities included training and supportive tools. PF (at 1 clinic) and HC (at 2 clinics) were added in the second half. All study analyses relied on secondary data, including electronic health records and digital therapeutic vendor data. Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients reached by the prescription digital therapeutics and fidelity related to ideal use. We used qualitative methods to assess the adherence to planned activities and the barriers and facilitators to implementing prescription digital therapeutics.
resultsOf all 18 patients prescribed the apps, 10 (56%) downloaded the app and activated their prescription, and 8 (44%) completed at least 1 module of content. Patients who activated the app completed 1 module per week on average. Ideal use (fidelity) was defined as completing 4 modules per week and having a monthly SUD-related visit; 1 (6%) patient met these criteria for 10 weeks (of the 12-week prescription period). A total of 5 (28%) patients had prescriptions while HC was available, 2 (11%) were successfully contacted, and both declined coaching. Clinicians reported competing clinical priorities, technical challenges, and logistically complex workflows in part because the apps required a prescription. Some pilot activities were impacted by staff turnover that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The facilitators to implementation were high engagement and the perception that the apps could meet patient needs.
conclusionsThe pilot study encountered the barriers to implementing prescription digital therapeutics in a real-world primary care setting, especially staffing shortages, turnover, and competing priorities for clinic teams. The larger randomized trial will clarify the extent to which PF and HC improve the implementation of digital therapeutics.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04907045; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04907045.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.