OLE/TMAT3

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  ONLINE ENGAGEMENT with TELEMEDICINE ASSISTED TREATMENT

• IRAS ID

  320169

• Contact name

  Alexander Baldacchino

• Contact email

  amb30@st-andrews.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of St Andrews - Research and Innovation Services

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  In 2020, 1,339 drug-related deaths were registered, with the highest rate in Europe. For people who use opioids (PWUO), engagement in treatment not only increases the chances of recovery but also decreases the chances of drug mortality and all-cause mortality.
  Digital platform for online health consultations, like NHS Scotland´s Near Me, could be a solution to some of these issues and improve engagement with treatment. Exploring barriers and facilitators to implementation of a digital approach will help understand what changes are needed to promote their use of Near Me. It can also offer a broader range of sociosanitary and harm reduction services to PWUO.
  The general aim is to increase treatment coverage and engagement with treatment of PWUO in Scotland, especially those at high risk of overdose. We will do this by:
  1. Finding out what works to enhance the therapeutic relationship through digital platforms.
  2. Proposing and adapting a tool to measure the improvements that the introduction of those core elements of digital interventions bring to the therapeutic relationship once implemented.
  3. Proposing improvements to the Near Me platform as well as a package of features/addons that could be added to Near Me to engage more PWUO in treatment.
  There are three work packages (WP):
  WP1. Finding evidence for the core elements of digital interventions that enhance the therapeutic relationship through:
  1) A literature review
  2) Focus and other groups with people with lived experience of drug use (PWLE from now on) and service providers
  WP2. Adaptation of the Visual ADOM-R tool to:
  1. The digital context
  2. The Scottish context
  WP3. Test of change:
  1) Reviewing the literature on the topic and inquiring experts as in WP1
  2) Propose a list of features that would make the most impact if added to the platform
  3) Exploring the capacity of Near Me to embed these new features

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/EM/0057

• Date of REC Opinion

  15 Mar 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion