Digitally Assisted Recovery Coach

Digitally Assisted Virtual Recovery Coach to Improve Inpatient Alcohol Withdrawal Management: A Proof-of-concept Pilot Study

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05393544

Enrollment

Registered

2022-05-26

Start date

2021-11-01

Completion date

2022-05-15

Last updated

2022-05-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder, Alcohol Withdrawal

Keywords

alcohol use disorder, peer recovery coach, smartphone app

Brief summary

The aims of this proof-of-concept study are to determine the feasibility of 1) using a smartphone app (Lifeguard) to facilitate engagement with a peer recovery coach, 2) monitoring post-detox using a modified Brief Addiction Monitor, and 3) assessing linkage to care post-detox.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALDigitally assisted peer recovery coach

The certified peer recovery coach utilized an existing care coordination smartphone app to provide support to the patient during and after an inpatient detoxification treatment for alcohol use disorder. The coach utilized the telephone or text messages to send daily motivational messages, remind about upcoming appointments, and checked-in if responses were concerning. Follow-up by the coach continued for 30 days.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Adults aged 18 to 65 * Diagnosis of DSM-5 alcohol use disorder * Admitted to Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital (BWF) inpatient Addiction Recovery Program to treat alcohol withdrawal * Own either an iOS or Android smartphone device * Have an active email address * English speaking

Exclusion criteria

* Inability to provide informed consent due to delirium or other cognitive impairments * Current psychosis, suicidality or homicidality

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Feasibility of coach engagement	30 days	The proportion and the number of days of participants engaging with the coach during and after detoxification.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Linkage to care	30 days	The proportion of participants successfully linking to care after discharge.
Feasibility of monitoring clinical status	30 days	The proportion and the number of days of participants responding to prompts during and after detoxification.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 9, 2026