Smart Interventions for Opioid Abuse: Design and Evaluation

The number of people in the US with opioid abuse exceeds two million, and the total cost is approximately $100B per year. There is a need for smart interventions that can lead to better outcomes for patients and reduce the need for healthcare resources. In this study, the authors present three smart interventions for patients: (a) mobile reminders, (b) electronic monitoring, and (c) composite intervention. More specifically, the authors present a design approach for smart interventions and operationalize the interventions. They have developed an analytical model for evaluating interventions. Interventions are cost-effective for higher values of intervention effectiveness, hospital, and emergency The authors also explored the use of financial incentives for increasing the adoption of interventions. These results will help patients, healthcare professionals, decision-makers, and family members to choose the most suitable intervention to address opioid abuse.