Efficacy of text-messages in helping former patients (previously treated in addiction centers) to maintain their substance use goal

ISRCTN	ISRCTN17228973
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17228973
Secondary identifying numbers	PEG201410

Submission date: 10/07/2017
Registration date: 12/07/2017
Last edited: 04/08/2021

Recruitment status: Stopped
Overall study status: Stopped
Condition category: Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Record updated in last year

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Text-messaging-based aftercare has been shown to be effective for various mental health problems such as eating disorders and alcohol withdrawal. Former patients can generally be reached easily with text messages, which might help to reduce their risk of relapsing. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of text messages in helping former patients (previously treated in addiction centers) to maintain their substance use goal during the 6 months following inpatient treatment.

Who can participate?
Patients aged 18 and over who have completed their addiction treatment

What does the study involve ?
Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups shortly before leaving the treatment center. Participants in one group receive automatically generated supportive text-messages to help them to avoid relapses. Participants in the other group receive semi-automatically generated, individualised supportive text messages and also telephone calls from a counselor. Text messages are sent for a period of six months after patients have left treatment, first weekly, then biweekly. Both groups are assessed for their maintenance of abstinence or controlled drinking (depending on personal goals) during the 6 months following inpatient treatment.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating ?
Former patients who receive text message based aftercare might be encouraged to avoid relapses. No risks are expected.

Where is the study run from?
1. Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction ISGF (Switzerland)
2. Akzente Prävention und Suchttherapie, Luzern (Switzerland)
3. Die Alternative, Ottenbach (Switzerland)
4. Freihof Küsnacht, Küsnacht (Switzerland)
5. Forelhaus, Zürich (Switzerland)
6. RehabilitationsZentrum Lutzenberg, Lutzenberg (Switzerland)
7. Suchttherapiebärn, Bern (Switzerland)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2015 to July 2020

Who is funding the study?
Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) (Switzerland)

Who is main contact ?
Mrs Susanne Schaaf
schaaf@isgf.uzh.ch

Contact information

Mrs Susanne Schaaf
Scientific

Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction ISGF
Konradstrasse 32
PO Box
Zurich
8031
Switzerland

ORCID ID	0000-0003-3763-9863
Phone	+41 (0)44 448 11 60
Email	schaaf@isgf.uzh.ch

Study information

Study design	Multicentre randomised active-controlled parallel-group trial
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Other
Study type	Prevention
Participant information sheet	ISRCTN17228973_PIS_12Jul17_German.pdf
Scientific title	Efficacy of text messaging-based aftercare following inpatient addiction treatment - DASA (Drug Alcohol SMS Aftercare): a randomised controlled trial
Study acronym	DASA – Drug Alcohol SMS Aftercare
Study hypothesis	Individualised SMS-based intervention (including information on personal reward suggestions and coping strategies on how to deal with tempting situations, as well as in addition phone calls from therapists) is more effective than non-individualised SMS-based intervention to maintain abstinence or controlled drinking (depending on the personally set goal).
Ethics approval(s)	Ethics Committee Zurich (lead committee), 19/06/2017, ref: PB_2016_02180
Condition	Relapse prevention for former patients who completed addiction treatment successfully
Intervention	Randomisation will be undertaken centrally by the Swiss Reasearch Institute for Public Health an Addiction ISGF. The questionnaires will be handed out to the participating treatment centers, and will be stratified by gender and main problem substance of patients, resulting in four combinations: a) female, alcohol, b) male, alcohol, c) female, drug (not-prescribed opiates, cocaine or cannabis), c) male, drug (ditto). Within each combination, the questionnaires are - according to the randomisation list - assigned to either control group or intervention group. The therapist fills in the questionnaire together with the client. The allocation to the study group will be disclosed on the last page of the questionnaire The patients will be randomly assigned to one of two study groups shortly before leaving the treatment center: 1. Minimal/standardised intervention control group (CG): automatically generated, standardised text-messages, standardised supportive messages: first weekly, then biweekly SMS regarding maintenance of abstinence or controlled alcohol use respectively; support from advisor on demand 2. Intervention group (IG): semi-automatically generated, individualised text-messages: first weekly, then bi-weekly SMS regarding maintenance of abstinence resp. controlled alcohol use; individualised supportive text-messages reward, coping strategies) and active contacting by advisor in case of not-maintaining abstinence resp. controlled alcohol use. SMS messages will be sent for a period of six months after patients have left treatment, first weekly, then biweekly. The primary outcome measures are assessed at 6-months follow up. Frequency of use of the respective main problem substance within the previous six months will be assessed. Participants indicating that they never used the substance within the previous six months are considered as abstinent (prolonged abstinence). Concerning controlled drinking, the participants should indicate whether or not they always maintained their personal goal of alcohol use within the previous six months (prolonged maintenance of drinking goal).
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure	Maintenance of abstinence (illegal substances such as opiates, cocaine, cannabis; legal substance: alcohol) or maintenance of controlled drinking (depending on personal goals) during the 6 months following inpatient treatment, assessed by self-report at 6-months follow up
Secondary outcome measures	1. Retention to intervention program (intervention group vs control group), assessed by measuring the proportion of participants which did not actively discontinue programme participation during the study period of 6 months by informing the study center via phone, text message or e-mail 2. 7-day and 30-day point prevalence abstinence and maintenance of controlled drinking, respectively, assessed by self-report at 6-months follow up 3. Acceptance of intervention program by former patients (intervention group vs control group), assessed using the log files of the text messaging system during the study period of 6 months
Overall study start date	07/09/2015
Overall study end date	31/07/2020
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)	Objectives no longer viable

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Other
Age group	Adult
Lower age limit	18 Years
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	554
Participant inclusion criteria	1. Age >=18 years 2. Residential treatment will presumably be finished within one week 3. Main problem substances at beginning of treatment: opioids, cocaine, cannabis or alcohol 4. Personally set goals: abstinence (re. illegal substances and alcohol) or controlled drinking respectively 5. Owning a mobile phone
Participant exclusion criteria	Cognitive or linguistic deficits or health impairments which impede following the SMS dialogue
Recruitment start date	01/08/2017
Recruitment end date	15/06/2019

Locations

Countries of recruitment

Switzerland

Study participating centres

RehabilitationsZentrum Lutzenberg

Lutzenberg
9426
Switzerland

Suchttherapiebärn

Bern
3006
Switzerland

Akzent Prävention und Suchttherapie

Luzern
6003
Switzerland

Die Alternative

Ottenbach
8913
Switzerland

Freihof Küsnacht

Küsnacht
8700
Switzerland

Forelhaus

Zürich
8003
Switzerland

Sponsor information

Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction ISGF
Research organisation

Konradstrasse 32
PO Box
Zurich
8031
Switzerland

Phone	+41 (0)44 448 11 60
Email	schaaf@isgf.uzh.ch
Website	www.isgf.ch
"ROR"	https://ror.org/02crff812

Funders

Funder type

Government

Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date	31/07/2021
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not expected to be made available
Publication and dissemination plan	Planned publication in a high-impact peer reviewed journal in 2021.
IPD sharing plan	The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to a lack of participants' consent to share data with other institutions.

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Participant information sheet		12/07/2017	12/07/2017	No	Yes

Additional files

ISRCTN17228973_PIS_12Jul17_German.pdf: Uploaded 12/07/2017

Editorial Notes

04/08/2021: The trial was stopped due to the requirements of the ethics committee.