title: Technological aids for improving longitudinal research on substance use disorders.
abstract: There is a broad consensus that addictive behaviors tend to be chronic and relapsing. But for field studies of substance users, successfully tracking, locating, and following up with a representative sample of subjects is a challenge.
  
  
  
  The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of how current technological aids can support and improve the quality of longitudinal research on substance use disorders. The review is grouped into four domains: (1) tracking and locating, (2) prompting/engaging, (3) incentivizing, and (4) collecting data.
  
  
  
  Although the technologies described in this review will be modified or replaced over time, our findings suggest that incorporating some or all of these currently available approaches may improve research efficiency, follow-up rates, and data quality.
authors: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA. dfarabee@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Farabee
authors: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA.
authors: Marya
authors: M
authors: Schulte
authors: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Gonzales
authors: Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA.
authors: Christine E
authors: CE
authors: Grella
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D040421:Cell Phone; D003625:Data Collection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders