Abstract
Building a Sensor to Detect and Respond to Opioid Overdose: Experiences on a Wearable Prototype From People who Inject Drugs
Drug and alcohol dependence, v 267, pp 118-118
Feb 2025
Abstract
Aim: To describe end user experiences and preferences for a wearable sensor designed to capture physiological response to opioid use and overdose in real-world settings.
Methods: Participants ≥18 years who reported 1) injecting illicit opioids >4 times/day or 2) taking MOUD and injecting illicit opioids/stimulants in the past week were recruited from a community-based addiction medicine clinic. They were assigned a prototype of a sensor, housed in a 1.5”x2”x1 hard plastic case, and asked to continuously wear it on their upper outer arm for seven days while it recorded biophysical indicators for later review. After returning the prototype, they completed a semi-structured interview exploring their experience and preferences for next generation sensors (i.e., features, functionality, design). Structured field notes and transcripts were analyzed to identify cross-cutting themes.
Results: Participants (n=23) were mostly non-Hispanic White males (63%), 41 years of age (interquartile range [IQR] 34.0, 45.8), reporting unstable housing (74%) and 5 daily injection events (IQR: 3.0, 8.5) within 30-days. Most participants (70%) returned an intact prototype and completed an exit interview, about half of whom had been on MOUD for ≥6 months. All participants found the concept of wearable overdose detection/response devices acceptable. Perceived benefits (e.g., timely naloxone administration, Hawthorne effect on drug use) generally outweighed potential risks (e.g., having the device mistaken for police surveillance). Concerns about false positives leading to unnecessary intervention were highly salient, with interventions signaling professional (EMS) or lay first responders (bystanders alerted by an alarm) considered more acceptable than naloxone injection. Participants emphasized the importance of developing a discreet device (smaller/flatter) with the ability to abort a false trigger before intervention.
Conclusions: As overdose rates soar, novel solutions to address the opioid crises are needed. Conversations with potential end users suggest discreet wearable devices are acceptable. Concerns about false positives must be addressed to encourage adoption of next generation devices.
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Details
- Title
- Building a Sensor to Detect and Respond to Opioid Overdose: Experiences on a Wearable Prototype From People who Inject Drugs
- Creators
- Alexis Roth - Drexel UniversityRose Laurano - Drexel UniversityAlly D'Angelo - Drexel UniversityAnush Lingamoorthy - Drexel UniversityMatthew Salzman - Rowan UniversityOlumuyiwa OniJacob Brenner - Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of PennsylvaniaBenjamin Cocchiaro - Drexel UniversityStephen Lankenau - Drexel UniversityCameron Baston - Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
- Publication Details
- Drug and alcohol dependence, v 267, pp 118-118
- Conference
- 2024 Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (Montreal, Canada, 15 Jun 2024–19 Jun 2024)
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 1
- Grant note
- Financial Support: Drexel University Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program NIDA R41DA056276
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- MD (Doctor of Medicine) Program; College of Engineering; Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001433433000042
- Other Identifier
- 991022025012704721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry
- Substance Abuse