NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) www.drugabuse.gov has plans to develop a vast array of new tools and technologies to study biological, environmental, behavioral, and the social causes and consequences of Substance Use Disorders (SUD). The objective is to help researchers use, integrate, and analyze the vast amount of information being generated in the era of Big Data and Precision Medicine.
The plan explains the need to understand that the links between genes, brain structure, function, and behavior will lead to more personalized and precise interventions to prevent and treat addiction.
For example, CRISPR, a powerful new gene-editing technology is poised to revolutionize biomedical research since the technology is inexpensive, fast, and easy to use to help understand the role of specific genetic variations in complex processes including addiction.
NIDA is working on recent advances in healthcare technologies such as the use of EHRs, telehealth, mobile applications and studying how big data mining has the potential to revolutionize behavioral healthcare and related research.
NIDA is working on new applications for consumer technologies. One example is a mobile app developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison called the “Addiction-Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support system (A-CHESS) http://chess.wisc.edu/chess/projects/AddictionChess.aspx.
The app is designed to help patients transition from treatment into a stable recovery by upgrading their coping skills along with developing a social support network. The app provides alerts, reminders for medications, programmed routine check-ins with a care manager, and links patients to after care services.
The NIDA Center for Clinical Trials Network www.drugabuse.fov/about-nida/organization/center-clinical-trials-network-cttn in consultation with ONC for Health IT www.healthit.gov, HRSA www.hrsa.gov, and SAMHSA www.samhsa.gov are developing a Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tool www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/clinical-decision-support-cds.
This tool could be incorporated into EHRs to help primary care providers identify patients with opioid use disorders and to determine the best treatments. The CDS will include guidance on how to screen for and assess SUDs to help the provider develop a plan of action tailored to meet the needs of the patient.