Being the complex condition that it is, substance abuse plagues millions across the world (especially the young demographics). According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2023, the most abused substance was opiates, followed by cocaine and cannabis. Substances like these can have adverse consequences, impacting health, daily life, and relationships. The American Addiction Centers found that consuming any drug five times a day can reduce life expectancy by a horrifying 30 to 50 years. What often starts as a way to cope with stress or fit in quickly (and without notice) turns into a full-blown addiction. The challenge then lies with addiction treatment centers to tackle the problem. Thankfully, the landscape of addiction treatment is changing dramatically. In this article, we will discuss ways in which these centers can use technology to enhance patient outcomes.

Removal of Barriers through Remote Counseling

Did you know that in 2021, 94% of people suffering from substance abuse (12 and above) received no treatment at all? One of the reasons behind this sad statistic is the geographical barriers or the stigma attached to the condition. If patients cannot make it to an addiction treatment center, then it must happen the other way around. Yes, many centers are leveraging telemedicine and remote counseling to increase patient privacy and convenience and remove geographical barriers. Remote counseling sessions enable real-time interactions with therapists to offer continuous guidance and knowledge of healthy coping strategies. This also frees up onsite treatment providers to catch up on paperwork and deliver attentive, one-on-one care. Behavioral telehealth services are especially useful where the patient may have a disability, childcare issues, or limited travel ability. They need not miss out on treatment simply due to accessibility issues.

Increased Efficiency with Practice Management Solutions

In many cases, administrative processes lead to inefficiencies in practice that make it challenging to run the center smoothly. Addiction treatment centers can begin by laying the axe at the root – tracking every patient’s health journey closely. Just like psychological clinics utilize electronic health records, addiction treatment centers can use substance use software to offer better patient care. Some of the top features of this software include detailed patient history, tailored workflows for staff, medication management, patient portals, documentation templates for assessment, and integrated billing. According to Accumedic Computer Systems, this software uses cloud technology to ensure patient records and electronic prescriptions remain safe. Addiction treatment centers can ditch bulky physical files and opt for streamlined record storage. They can deliver efficient patient care in the following ways –

• A holistic view of the patient’s health makes it easier to identify risk factors and develop personalized treatment plans.
• This software helps remove medication errors, alerting treatment providers of potential drug duplications, interactions, and contraindications. All this is done taking into account the patient’s history and ongoing treatment regime.
• The software will analyze patient data and send alerts in case of a potential relapse, thereby facilitating timely intervention.
• The platform acts as a communication hub where other treatment providers, like pharmacists, counselors, etc., can collaborate to offer coordinated care.
• Treatment providers can track patient’s progress closely with precise documentation of medication frequency, dosage, side effects, and more.
• The patient portals empower patients to be more involved in their treatment plans. They can easily access health records, manage appointments, and engage with care providers.
• The system also reduces administrative burdens by streamlining billing.

Use of Immersive Experiences via AR/VR

Virtual and Augmented Reality is becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of patients with substance abuse. Through simulations that mimic real-world scenarios, treatment providers can help patients overcome their cravings. Besides being a novel approach, AR/VR is turning into a fun way of overcoming addiction. In other words, patients do not need to fear their treatment plans anymore. Within a controlled setting, the individual learns healthier ways to cope whilst overcoming the discomfort involved with withdrawal. For instance – the system may present them with a scenario where they encounter peers who offer them a drug. The patient is expected to say ‘No’ without any explanations or excuses. Initially, they may struggle and fail, but the good part is that the setting is not real (only real-like). With time, as the treatment providers guide the patient on the pros of overcoming their addiction, they should be able to say no. Various other healthy choices can be made without actually experiencing different situations. Finally, the drug abuse statistics among adolescents have remained below pre-pandemic levels. Even then, eighth-graders admitted to abusing some sort of illicit substance in the past year. Besides enhancing patient outcomes through technology-assisted interventions, awareness is the need of the hour. Uncomfortable conversations at a young age are necessary to ensure adolescents and young adults do not choose this path. Every possible scenario, including stress, peer pressure, curiosity, etc. must be explained along with why substance abuse is still not the answer. After all, it is easier to raise healthy adults than repair broken ones.