Using digital tools to help people recover from opioid and alcohol use disorders
Official title: Cultivating Recovery: A Pilot Study of Digital Contingency Management for Co-occurring Opioid and Alcohol Use Disorder
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-10996795 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring a new way to help people stay sober from opioids and alcohol by using a mobile app that rewards them for their progress, and it's designed for Medicaid members who are facing these challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $390,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R34AA031870-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10996795 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Medicaid beneficiaries who are experiencing co-occurring opioid and alcohol use disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not enrolled in Medicaid or do not have co-occurring opioid and alcohol use disorders may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a digital approach to contingency management, which is a method that rewards individuals for maintaining sobriety from both opioids and alcohol. The study will engage Medicaid beneficiaries who struggle with co-occurring opioid and alcohol use disorders by delivering this treatment through mobile devices. It aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this digital intervention, while also developing strategies for its implementation in real-world settings. Participants will be involved in a pilot trial comparing the effectiveness of digital contingency management against a control condition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a scalable and effective digital intervention to improve recovery outcomes for individuals with both opioid and alcohol use disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that contingency management can be effective in treating substance use disorders, suggesting that this digital approach may also yield positive results.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fernandez, Anne Christie — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Fernandez, Anne Christie
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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.