A Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Computer-Tailored Intervention to Promote Safer Injection Practices Among Drug Users

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a theory-based intervention to increase the use of a new syringe for each injection among injection drug users (IDUs). Users of two needle exchange programs (NEPs) were involved. At both sites, participants were assigned at random to either the experimental or the control group. Once a week for four weeks, users reported to the NEPs where they logged onto a computer and received an audiovisual message. A total of 260 IDUs were recruited. At baseline, 52.3% of participants reported that they had not always used new syringes in the previous week. The results indicate that it is possible for IDUs to adopt safer injection practices. One month after the intervention began, participants in the experimental group were using fewer dirty syringes compared to the control group (RR: 0.47 CI(95%) 0.28-0.79; P = .004). This short-term effect was no longer present 3 months later.

Feasibility and Effects of Digital Interventions to Support People in Recovery From Substance Use Disorders: Systematic Review (Preprint)

“…The rest of the interventions were less intense and had a longer duration. In these, participants typically received and sent two messages each day for three months [35] or 10 months [50], one message each day for two to four months [39,42,45,55,56], or one each week for six months [49]. There is not much information in the papers documenting whether the participants actually read the messages they received.…”

“…For example, some studies reported that the participants were generally highly satisfied [36,43] or that they "felt connected" via the intervention [42]. Bradford [43], Gagnon [45], and Ingersoll [50] reported that 80-90% of the participants were satisfied, finding the interventions easy to use and being confident and comfortable in using them, while Gonzales [47] found that 70% were positive about the intervention (20% were ambivalent and 10% negative). In the intervention studied by Haug [78], the overall satisfaction was a bit lower: in general 63% of the participants found the intervention helpful but 75% wanted to do the program again, which suggests a somewhat higher level of satisfaction.…”

“…by Bradford et al [43], two HIV risk reduction interventions [45], ESQYIR by Gonzales et al [48,81], an in-home messaging device by Santa Anna et al [55], and an internetbased relapse prevention program (Trudeau et al, 2017). Three of these interventions were delivered by text messaging [46,48].…”

“…Three of these interventions were delivered by text messaging [46,48]. Other positive interventions consisted of an integrated psychosocial assessment delivered through an app [43]; a website that provided tailored audiovisual messages regarding safer injection practices [45]; and 20 online lessons that provided information on addiction and on relapse prevention skills for adolescents (Trudeau et al, 2017).…”

Wired for Healthy College: Electronic-Intervention for Addressing Substance Abuse Prevention

“…However, it should be mentioned that web-based education include some limitations and demerits, such as learners low level of knowledge on computers, lack of equipment and infrastructure, technology limitations and no access to the internet, problems with the internet bandwidth, and also problems with learner assessment (5). Though, considering huge number of merits mentioned on that, it seems to be efficient to plan preventive interventions for risky behaviors (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). For example, Lockyer et al in their study on e-learning indicated that web-based education for HIV prevention is more effective compared with face-to-face classroom education (6).…”