How Technology Is Changing Addiction Treatment in the UK

Residential rehab and day programs have long been the staples of addiction treatment in the UK. But as with nearly everything else in the modern world, things in the addiction treatment arena are changing. Technology is making serious inroads into how modern medicine addresses drug and alcohol addiction.

Using technology to treat addiction should not be surprising. Especially in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, digital health services are pretty commonplace. We treat addiction as a health problem. So why would we not introduce the same technologies that we’re using in other areas of healthcare?

6 Applications for Technology

A little bit of research uncovers six applications of technology in the addiction treatment arena. Each one is already in play right now. Granted, tech-based addiction treatment is not yet the norm. But it is catching on.

1. Digital Therapy

Addiction’s physical aspects are handled through detox. Once detox is complete, recovery moves into the therapy stage. Here is where technology shines. UK rehab providers are now beginning to offer both individual and group therapy sessions online. Individual assessments and outpatient programs are another option.

The advantage of digital therapy is being able to undergo treatment without the pressure of meeting with strangers in person. And for someone who needs therapy but has no way to travel to a clinic, digital therapy is a great alternative.

2. Clinical Care via Telehealth

The same telehealth concepts that got us through the pandemic apply to addiction treatment. Telehealth opens the door to remote consultations covering everything from medical and psychological care to reviewing a patient’s medications. If care requires little more than conversations between clinicians and patients, telehealth fits the bill.

3. Online Peer Support

Peer support is critical to addiction recovery. The accountability and encouragement such support provides are very difficult to get any other way. Fortunately, online peer support is now available. Through social media, online meeting apps, and other resources, patients can attend remote meetings and take part in digital forums.

Online peer support is ideal for recovering patients with physical mobility issues. It is also a good choice for patients who live in remote areas, too far from urban meeting places to make in-person attendance practical.

4. Mobile Apps

Mobile apps give clinics and clinicians tools for monitoring patient recovery during and after rehab. What’s more, they give recovering patients tools for tracking everything from mood to cravings. Many rehab apps also include daily motivational prompts. They offer relapse prevention tools along with medication reminders, emergency contacts, and more.

You could argue that the mobile app is the best thing to have happened to drug and alcohol rehab in recent years. We all use our phones incessantly anyway, so using the phone as a tool for improving rehab services just makes sense. It would be strange to emphasise using technology to treat addiction without incorporating the mobile app. That is how important it is.

5. Aftercare and Follow-Up

Technology facilitates easier aftercare and follow-up. For example, an online portal makes it easier for clinicians and patients to stay in contact. Rehab clinics utilise portals to facilitate weekly or monthly check-ins, remote progress monitoring, and relapse prevention plans. Everything is done virtually, so there is no need for the patient to continue travelling to the clinic.

6. Blended Rehab Programs

Technology also makes it possible for clinics to offer blended rehab programs. A blended program utilises both digital and in-person services customised for each patient based on need and circumstances. A blended program offers the best of all worlds because it can accommodate everything from location to budget to a patient’s health.

The Benefits of Bringing in Technology

Healthcare has traditionally been a field that resists change. Telehealth is a great example. It had been around for years prior to the COVID pandemic. However, the healthcare sector resisted it. COVID forced a rethink. Some five years later, the benefits of incorporating telehealth services into modern healthcare are obvious.

Here are three benefits in the addiction treatment space:

1. Accessibility

Although rehab opportunities abound throughout the UK, they are not always accessible to people with health problems or those who live in rural communities. Technology makes rehab more accessible to them. It breaks down barriers that would previously prevent patients from getting help.

Distance is no longer an issue. Cost is more manageable with digital services because of lower overhead. And although digital rehab still requires a time investment, commuting time is eliminated.

2. Personalisation

Introducing technology to the addiction space has created more opportunities for personalisation. For example, follow-up can be tailored more to the individual patient because neither clinician nor patient is tied to such strict time demands.

In addition, online therapies and support can be tailored to needs. One patient might benefit significantly from group therapy, while another would be better off accessing one-on-one counselling. Both can be accommodated more easily in the digital world.

3. Increased Reach

From the NHS to UK charities and residential rehab clinics, reaching as many people as possible is a primary goal. Yet there are always those patients who either cannot or will not take advantage of in-person services. Those people can be reached with technology.

Technology reduces waiting times. It streamlines provider activities and resources. In the end, they can reach more patients because they can stretch resources further. The more patients reached, the more effective rehab services become over time. That is always good.

A Perfect Fit for Technology

Using technology to treat addiction should come as no surprise in the era of social media, online shopping, and telehealth services. Rehab and addiction support are a perfect fit for the latest internet-based technologies.

Technology is just now making inroads into addiction treatment. I expect to see more of it as time goes on. Who knows? Two decades from now, there may be no such thing as NHS day programs and residential rehab. Addiction recovery may eventually become entirely technology-based in the future. If it works, why not?