title: Realising the technological promise of smartphones in addiction research and treatment: An ethical review.
abstract: Smartphone technologies and mHealth applications (or apps) promise unprecedented scope for data collection, treatment intervention, and relapse prevention when used in the field of substance abuse and addiction. This potential also raises new ethical challenges that researchers, clinicians, and software developers must address.
  
  
  
  This paper aims to identify ethical issues in the current uses of smartphones in addiction research and treatment.
  
  
  
  A search of three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and PsycInfo) identified 33 studies involving smartphones or mHealth applications for use in the research and treatment of substance abuse and addiction. A content analysis was conducted to identify how smartphones are being used in these fields and to highlight the ethical issues raised by these studies.
  
  
  
  Smartphones are being used to collect large amounts of sensitive information, including personal information, geo-location, physiological activity, self-reports of mood and cravings, and the consumption of illicit drugs, alcohol and nicotine. Given that detailed information is being collected about potentially illegal behaviour, we identified the following ethical considerations: protecting user privacy, maximising equity in access, ensuring informed consent, providing participants with adequate clinical resources, communicating clinically relevant results to individuals, and the urgent need to demonstrate evidence of safety and efficacy of the technologies.
  
  
  
  mHealth technology offers the possibility to collect large amounts of valuable personal information that may enhance research and treatment of substance abuse and addiction. To realise this potential researchers, clinicians and app-developers must address these ethical concerns to maximise the benefits and minimise risks of harm to users.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, VIC 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Capon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, University of Queensland, CYSAR - K Floor Mental Health Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Site, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia; UQ Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, UQCCR - Level 2, Building 71/918, Herston Campus, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, VIC 3800, Australia; UQ Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, UQCCR - Level 2, Building 71/918, Herston Campus, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia. Electronic address: adrian.carter@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D000068240:Data Anonymization / Q000941:ethics; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000941:ethics; D063731:Mobile Applications / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000941:ethics* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends; D020458:Third-Party Consent / Q000941:ethics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Addiction; Ethics; Research; Smartphones; Substance abuse; Treatment; mHealth