Phone app that rewards methadone patients for staying in treatment and avoiding opioids and cocaine
Official title: Treating Polysubstance Use in Methadone Maintenance: Application of Novel Digital Technology
Funded at Friends Research Institute, INC. · NIH-11364653 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone app gives rewards to people on methadone to help them stay in treatment and avoid opioid and cocaine use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Friends Research Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $773,197 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DA057608-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364653 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults starting methadone treatment who also use cocaine or other opioids and who own a smartphone would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not on methadone, who cannot use a smartphone, or who do not have opioid/cocaine polysubstance use may not gain benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be randomly assigned to regular methadone care or regular care plus a phone app called DynamiCare that pays you when you meet goals. The app focuses on two behaviors: abstaining from opioids and cocaine, checked with remote oral fluid tests, and picking up your methadone doses, verified by clinic records. When you meet those targets the app delivers automated financial rewards over a 48-week period. The trial follows participants for one year after starting methadone to compare retention and drug use between the two groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could help people stay in methadone treatment longer, reduce opioid and cocaine use, and lower the risk of relapse and overdose.
How similar studies have gone: Contingency management is an evidence-based approach for reducing substance use, and digital or remote contingency methods have shown promise though long-term effectiveness is still being studied.
Where this research is happening
-
Friends Research Institute, INC.
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alexander, Karen — Friends Research Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Alexander, Karen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.