Workit Health Awarded NIDA Grant to Build Fully Integrated Chatbot for Virtual Addiction Program
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) grant will allow Workit Health to build the first chatbot specifically dedicated to improving outcomes and engagement in virtual substance use disorder treatment.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Workit Health, the nation's leading provider of evidence-based telemedicine addiction care, today announced the receipt of a grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to build a fully integrated chatbot for its virtual addiction and mental health care program.
"Other chatbots seek to replace the role of mental health providers, but at Workit Health our clinical teams are key to our member experience," said Lisa McLaughlin, Workit Health's Co-CEO. "The support provided through this grant allows us to investigate how machine learning can create a more engaging experience for our members while also providing our clinicians with predictive data that makes it simple to provide the right care at the right time."
Workit Health is uniquely suited to build the first chatbot for virtual addiction care, as over 10,000 people have utilized its web and phone apps for treatment. The chatbot will be able to make customized, actionable recommendations to provide care administration and psychosocial support. Individuals within the Workit program will be able to utilize the chatbot to identify behavioral patterns and track their recovery progress as well as other incremental improvements. For Workit's clinical teams, the chatbot will identify opportunities for intervention and develop predictive models of behavior over time.
"2020 was a record-breaking year for drug overdose deaths, making our work more urgent than ever," said Robin McIntosh, Workit Health's Co-CEO. "Utilizing technology to improve access to care for substance use disorders is at the heart of our mission, with an emphasis on accessibility and patient-centered design."
Workit Health's virtual program for substance use disorder has grown rapidly since it was founded by Lisa McLaughlin and Robin McIntosh, two women in long-term recovery, in 2015. Demand for telemedicine care accelerated in 2020 due to the pandemic, and Workit now has clinical programs in eight states with coaching available nationwide.
This is the third research grant received by Workit Health. In 2019, NIDA awarded Workit a contract to address social determinants of health in addiction care. In 2017, Workit was awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to develop a "thrive-meter," which assists individuals in identifying success in addiction recovery.
Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R44DA054010. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
About Workit Health: Workit Health is an addiction healthcare B-corporation offering online, on-demand evidence-based addiction treatment including telehealth medication for opioid use disorder. Workit Health partners with healthcare organizations to deliver an innovative digital health solution that blends the best of human-centered design, technology, and science. Through mobile and web apps, members meet with clinicians and Master's level coaches and complete self-set recovery goals. Workit Health offers 24/7 recovery that fits into daily life, designed by experts. Learn more at http://www.workithealth.com.
Media Contact
Kali Lux, Workit Health, +1 (602) 698-6181, [email protected]
SOURCE Workit Health
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