| Title: |
Scaling Digital Therapeutics for Substance Use Disorders: What the First Real Cost Study Reveals |
| Authors: |
Wong, Edwin S.; Dorsey, Caitlin N.; Beatty, Tara C.; Bobb, Jennifer F.; Stefanik-Guizlo, Kelsey; Key, Dustin L.; Ramaprasan, Arvind; Idu, Abisola E.; Fortney, John C.; Mogk, Jessica; Palazzo, Lorella; Caldeiro, Ryan M.; King, Deborah; Garza McWethy, Angela; Glass, Joseph E. |
| Publisher Information: |
Chestnut Health Systems, Lighthouse Institute |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Collection: |
UMB Digital Archive (University of Maryland, Baltimore) |
| Subject Terms: |
digital therapeutics; Substance-Related Disorders; Costs and Cost Analysis; Program Evaluation |
| Description: |
Article published in Chestnut Health Systems' newsletter, The Catalyst. ; Digital therapeutics—evidence-based apps prescribed for substance use disorders (SUD)— deliver proven, convenient treatment that reduces substance use, supports recovery, and relieves strain on clinicians and emergency services. Yet real-world uptake lags, not from lack of effectiveness, but from implementation hurdles. A landmark study, “Economic Cost of Strategic Implementation Approaches to Increase Uptake of Digital Therapeutics for Substance Use Disorders in a Large Integrated Health System,” published in PLOS Digital Health, provides the first concrete numbers on scaling these tools. Over 50 months across 21 primary care sites in a large integrated health system, strategic implementation (including training, practice facilitation, health coaching, and operations) totaled $748,088—about $25,000 per clinic for basic rollout, up to $48,000 for the most intensive combinations. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/handle/10713/24251 |
| Availability: |
https://archive.hshsl.umaryland.edu/handle/10713/24251 |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.8FC2CA1F |
| Database: |
BASE |