Women with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) have complex careneeds that begin with a need for identification followed by linkage to a comprehensive care plan thatfrequently includes simultaneous treatment for excessive alcohol, opioid, stimulant, andbenzodiazepine use, as well as trauma. Barriers to identification and treatment of AUD and/or SUDamong women in primary care settings begin with a lack of screening by healthcare providers (HCPs)and lack of knowledge by child-bearing women about the dangers of conceiving while using alcohol ordrugs. The HCP's challenges to supporting women with AUD and/or SUD include stigma, lack of timeduring each appointment for screening, scoring and discussion of results, the sheer potential volumeof women with SUD/AUD, lack of knowledge about evidence-based interventions, and scarcity ofpartnerships with a comprehensive treatment facility offering trauma-informed care. Novel digitalstrategies to provide universal anonymous screenings and promote appointment adherence appeareffective. A mobile application that can provide anonymous referrals, educational materials, andsupport communication between providers and patients could expand universal screenings to deliveryat or prior to a standard medical appointment. This application could then help to alleviate or removemany of the limitations due to a lack of time, willingness, or ability. Benten Technologies proposes to design, build and test a mobile-based application calledWomen Engaged in Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Environments (WE-CARE) forSubstance Use that will leverage secure, cloud-based technology to provide virtual screenings,referrals, education, and open communication channels between women with possible AUD and SUDand their providers. The application will support linkage to care through the integration of novel toolsincluding universal e-screenings for alcohol, illicit drugs, depression, and anxiety, as well aseducational materials, an anonymous moderated forum, and a chatbot, and the option to get ananonymous referral to a comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment center. Within 48 hours ofreceiving a referral request through the application, the treatment center will contact the women foradditional intake questions and discussions about her concerns. The Phase 1 SBIR SpecificAims are to (1) Use formative research with child-bearing age women, HCPs, and relevantstakeholders to identify the needs and requirements for screenings, educational materials, andlinkage to care; (2) Build the prototype, and (3) Screen 300 women and pilot test with 20 womenidentified with being at risk of having an AUD and/or SUD to evaluate the prototype application. PROJECT NARRATIVE
The Women Engaged in Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Environments (WE-CARE) for Substance Use
application will leverage secure, cloud-based technology to provide virtual anonymous screenings and referrals
for women of child-bearing age with possible AUD and/or SUD to facilitate linkage to trauma-informed care. WE-
CARE will integrate novel tools including universal e-screenings, educational materials, motivational messaging,
chat rooms and forums, and anonymous self-referral to a drug and alcohol treatment center. 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Medication ; Pharmaceutic Preparations ; drug/agent ; Education ; Educational aspects ; Environment ; Face ; faces ; facial ; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ; alcoholic embryopathy ; embryofetal alcohol syndrome ; embryopathia alcoholica ; Fetal Development ; Developing fetus ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetal Growth Restriction ; IUGR ; Intrauterine Growth Retardation ; impaired fetal growth ; intra-uterine growth restriction ; intra-uterine growth retardation ; intrauterine growth restriction ; prenatal growth disorder ; Florida ; Health ; Health Fairs ; Health Personnel ; Health Care Providers ; Healthcare Providers ; Healthcare worker ; health care personnel ; health care worker ; health provider ; health workforce ; healthcare personnel ; medical personnel ; treatment provider ; Infant ; Low Birth Weight Infant ; low birth weight ; low birth weight infant human ; low birthweight ; Lead ; Pb element ; heavy metal Pb ; heavy metal lead ; Learning ; Marijuana ; marihuana ; Motivation ; Patients ; 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episodic drinking ; binge drinking ; Reporting ; brief therapy ; brief treatment ; brief intervention ; stigma ; social stigma ; Adverse effects ; alcohol abuse treatment ; alcohol treatment ; alcohol abuse therapy ; Provider ; Address ; Adherence ; Educational Materials ; Intake ; Small Business Innovation Research Grant ; SBIR ; Small Business Innovation Research ; Process ; Feeling ; feelings ; Evidence based treatment ; Female of child bearing age ; Female of childbearing age ; women of child bearing age ; women of childbearing age ; neurobehavioral ; treatment center ; virtual ; digital ; design ; designing ; Fetal Alcohol Exposure ; Fetal ETOH Exposure ; Fetal Ethanol Exposure ; In Utero Alcohol Exposure ; In Utero ETOH Exposure ; In Utero Ethanol Exposure ; Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ; Prenatal ETOH Exposure ; Prenatal Ethanol Exposure ; alcohol-exposed pregnancy ; exposed to alcohol prenatally ; gestation ETOH exposure ; gestation alcohol exposure ; gestation ethanol exposure ; gestational ethanol exposure ; pregnancy ETOH exposure ; pregnancy alcohol exposure ; pregnancy ethanol exposure ; prenatally alcohol exposed ; prenatally exposed to alcohol ; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ; FASD ; willingness ; Neonatal ; alcohol related problem ; Prevalence ; Trauma ; innovation ; innovate ; innovative ; child bearing ; bear children ; bearing children ; childbearing ; Evidence based intervention ; handheld mobile device ; mobile device ; usability ; addiction ; addictive disorder ; prototype ; high risk ; primary care setting ; alcohol screening ; Secure ; screening ; mHealth ; m-Health ; mobile health ; mobile application ; mobile app ; mobile device application ; cloud based ; marijuana use ; THC co-use ; THC use ; Tetrahydrocannabinol co-use ; Tetrahydrocannabinol use ; cannabis use ; negative affect ; negative affectivity ; Drug Screening ; chatbot ; chat bot ; virtual screening ; virtual screenings ; substance use treatment ; substance use ; substance using ; 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