Smartphone-based support system (SoberDiary) coupled with a Bluetooth breathalyser for treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent patients.
Relapse prevention in patients with alcohol dependence (AD) has long been a clinical challenge. It is vital to provide services with minial restrictions for patients to have access to continuous after-treatment care. The study was aimed to examine the benefits of a smartphone application (SoberDiary) coupled to a Bluetooth breathalyser to assist patients recovering from alcohol dependence (AD).



This study recruited 38 patients that fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for AD and who were undergoing an outpatient maintenance program for abstinence. The participants were provided a breathalyser and smartphone-equipped SoberDiary and followed for 12weeks. The participants were divided into highly adherent (HA) and less adherent (LA) groups according to the medium number of reward points they were awarded for using the SoberDiary system throughout the follow-up period based on the average amount of time spent on using the application, the number of function modules they accessed, and the number of BrAC tests they completed each day.



19 of the patients were classified as HA and 19 patients were classified as LA group. Members of the HA group recorded fewer drinking days and drinks consumed per week, a higher cumulative number of abstinence days, a higher abstinence rate, less pronounced anxiety, and superior quality of life.



The proposed smartphone-assisted support system coupled with a Bluetooth breathalyser might be a feasible supplement to conventional treatment for AD. Higher SoberDiary compliance appears to be associated with better clinical outcomes.
NTU IoX Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chuang-Wen
CW
You
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yen-Chang
YC
Chen
Department of Psychiatry, Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chun-Hsin
CH
Chen
Department of Clinical Psychology, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chao-Hui
CH
Lee
Department of Public Health & Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan Univeristy, Taipei, Taiwan.
Po-Hsiu
PH
Kuo
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: mch@tpech.gov.tw.
Ming-Chyi
MC
Huang
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Graduate Institute of Networking and Multimedia, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hao-Hua
HH
Chu
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012119:Respiration; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D000068997:Smartphone; D012944:Social Support; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000067401:Blood Alcohol Content
Alcohol dependence; Breathalyser; Relapse prevention; Smartphone