Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users
Abstract Background To date, evaluations of take-home fentanyl (and/or benzodiazepine) test strip use — the most common form of drug checking services — and potential effects on overdose risk have relied on retrospective accounts for some preceding time period, usually a week to several months. Such...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01321-2 |
| _version_ | 1827940032199000064 |
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| author | James A. Swartz Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti A. David Jimenez Lisa Robison-Taylor Elizabeth Prete |
| author_facet | James A. Swartz Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti A. David Jimenez Lisa Robison-Taylor Elizabeth Prete |
| author_sort | James A. Swartz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background To date, evaluations of take-home fentanyl (and/or benzodiazepine) test strip use — the most common form of drug checking services — and potential effects on overdose risk have relied on retrospective accounts for some preceding time period, usually a week to several months. Such accounts, however, are subject to recall and memory biases. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of using experiential sampling to collect daily information in situ on drug checking and associated overdose risk reduction — the primary outcomes — among a sample of street opioid users and compared the results to retrospective reports. Methods We recruited 12 participants from a Chicago-based syringe services program. Participants were 18 years of age or older, reported using opioids purchased on the street 3 + times per week in the past month, and had an available Android mobile phone. A phone-based app was programmed to collect daily drug checking information and provided to each participant along with a supply of fentanyl and benzodiazepine test strips and instructions for use over 21 days. Comparable retrospective data were collected via follow-up in-person surveys at the conclusion of daily report collection. Results We found a reasonably high rate of daily reporting (63.5%) with participants submitting reports on 160 “person-days” out of 252 possible days. Participants submitted daily reports an average of 13 of 21 days. Reports of test strip use frequency varied between the retrospective and daily reports with a relatively higher percentage of days/time using test strips obtained from the daily reports. We also found higher proportions reporting overdose risk reduction behaviors on the daily reports compared with the retrospective reviews. Conclusions We believe the results support using daily experience sampling to collect information on drug checking behaviors among street drug users. Although resource intensive in comparison to retrospective reports, daily reporting potentially provides more detailed information on test strip use and its association with overdose risk reduction and, ultimately, fewer overdoses. Needed are larger trials and validation studies of daily experience sampling to identify the optimum protocol for collecting accurate information on drug checking and overdose risk reduction behavior. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:04:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f2f7ac9fb594c308fb4253ad12732d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-5784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:04:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f2f7ac9fb594c308fb4253ad12732d22023-05-28T11:08:45ZengBMCPilot and Feasibility Studies2055-57842023-05-019111210.1186/s40814-023-01321-2Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug usersJames A. Swartz0Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti1A. David Jimenez2Lisa Robison-Taylor3Elizabeth Prete4Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois ChicagoCommunity Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois ChicagoCommunity Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois ChicagoChestnut Health SystemsCommunity Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois ChicagoAbstract Background To date, evaluations of take-home fentanyl (and/or benzodiazepine) test strip use — the most common form of drug checking services — and potential effects on overdose risk have relied on retrospective accounts for some preceding time period, usually a week to several months. Such accounts, however, are subject to recall and memory biases. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of using experiential sampling to collect daily information in situ on drug checking and associated overdose risk reduction — the primary outcomes — among a sample of street opioid users and compared the results to retrospective reports. Methods We recruited 12 participants from a Chicago-based syringe services program. Participants were 18 years of age or older, reported using opioids purchased on the street 3 + times per week in the past month, and had an available Android mobile phone. A phone-based app was programmed to collect daily drug checking information and provided to each participant along with a supply of fentanyl and benzodiazepine test strips and instructions for use over 21 days. Comparable retrospective data were collected via follow-up in-person surveys at the conclusion of daily report collection. Results We found a reasonably high rate of daily reporting (63.5%) with participants submitting reports on 160 “person-days” out of 252 possible days. Participants submitted daily reports an average of 13 of 21 days. Reports of test strip use frequency varied between the retrospective and daily reports with a relatively higher percentage of days/time using test strips obtained from the daily reports. We also found higher proportions reporting overdose risk reduction behaviors on the daily reports compared with the retrospective reviews. Conclusions We believe the results support using daily experience sampling to collect information on drug checking behaviors among street drug users. Although resource intensive in comparison to retrospective reports, daily reporting potentially provides more detailed information on test strip use and its association with overdose risk reduction and, ultimately, fewer overdoses. Needed are larger trials and validation studies of daily experience sampling to identify the optimum protocol for collecting accurate information on drug checking and overdose risk reduction behavior.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01321-2Drug checkingEcological momentary assessmentMobile ecological momentary assessmentOpioid overdose preventionExperience samplingFentanyl test strips |
| spellingShingle | James A. Swartz Mary Ellen Mackesy-Amiti A. David Jimenez Lisa Robison-Taylor Elizabeth Prete Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users Pilot and Feasibility Studies Drug checking Ecological momentary assessment Mobile ecological momentary assessment Opioid overdose prevention Experience sampling Fentanyl test strips |
| title | Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| title_full | Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| title_fullStr | Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| title_short | Feasibility study of using mobile phone-based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| title_sort | feasibility study of using mobile phone based experience sampling to assess drug checking by opioid street drug users |
| topic | Drug checking Ecological momentary assessment Mobile ecological momentary assessment Opioid overdose prevention Experience sampling Fentanyl test strips |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01321-2 |
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