Improving Substance Abuse Counseling Adherence Using Web-based Videoconferencing

Improving Substance Abuse Counseling Adherence Using Web-based Videoconferencing

This research is being done to compare the effectiveness of standard on-site, in-person counseling with Internet web-based videoconferencing (e-therapy) in drug-dependent patients in opioid-agonist treatment programs. The study is looking to see if there are any differences in satisfaction or in treatment outcome if counseling sessions are given by e-therapy compared to standard, in-person counseling given in the clinic. The e-therapy happens in real time- it works very much like standard therapy in the clinic except that the patient is in his or her own home (or other convenient location outside the clinic) and talks to and sees the therapist through an Internet connection on the computer (the therapist will usually be at the clinic).

This study will be the first to evaluate the efficacy of an accredited and currently available, Internet web-based videoconferencing platform to deliver routine schedules of counseling in an opioid agonist treatment program. It has outstanding potential to help determine transportability of this technology to other treatment programs by demonstrating the benefits of integration of web-based therapy with on-site services to expand the continuum of care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Access to a computer with Internet capability
• Full adherence to their routine counseling schedule over the previous 30-days
• Negative urine specimens over the previous 30-days
• Patient at ATS for 90 days

Exclusion Criteria:

• No access to a computer with Internet capability