DRUG OVERDOSE IS NOW THE LEADING
CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG AMERICANS UNDER 50
75% of these are linked to opioids
Drug overdoses kill more people than car accidents, gun homicides and even HIV/AIDS during that epidemic’s peak in 1995.
140 americans die every day from opioid overdose
that’s equivalent to a jumbo jet full of passengers crashing every three days
More than 27,000 babies are born addicted
to opioids each year – that’s 1 born every 25 minutes
Opioid prescriptions tripled between 1999 and 2015
enough for every American to be medicated around the clock for 3 weeks
HOW DID THE OPIOID CRISIS HAPPEN?
Up until the early 80s, doctors were only prescribing opioids to relieve pain in dying patients receiving end-of-life care. In 1990 opioid therapy was being used to treat cancer pain. By the late 90s, prescription opioids were being promoted as the solution for any and all pain. America is now the world’s leader in opioid prescriptions, with prescribed opioids killing more American’s than any illegal drug.
DRUG OVERDOSES KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN ROAD CRASHES
TREATMENT vs PREVENTION
Addiction treatment is one solution for those already addicted; however, opioid addiction treatment has a relapse rate of 40-60%.
Prevention also plays a vital role in addressing the opioid epidemic. By working with doctors on prescription frequency and dosage, and patients on the risks of opioid use, storage and disposal we can stop abuse and addiction before it starts.
Preventum is the world’s first digital public health platform designed to help governments and organizations deliver effective public health campaigns aimed at injury and disease prevention. Preventum’s first application in the US will focus on reducing opioid use and ultimately preventing opioid addiction.
Digital Opioid Campaign
The goal of DOC is to reduce the risk for opioid misuse, abuse, overdose and diversion by people prescribed opioids for acute pain relief. DOC combines evidence-based content and gamification techniques to educate people on safe use, safe storage and safe disposal of newly prescribed opioids.
DOC for Docs
The goal of DOC2 is to reduce the frequency and dosage of opioids prescribed by doctors. DOC2 works with doctors to incorporate and follow CDC guidelines on prescribing opioids. DOC2 can also work to increase reporting of opioid prescription rates by doctors to their State’s prescription drug reporting system.
WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE?
Before launching Preventum, we tested the technology and our assumptions. Would it work? Could you use social media to recruit individuals to a research campaigns? Could an app-based platform be used to change knowledge and attitudes? Could gamification techniques be used to keep people engaged in a research project? All these questions were answered in a randomised controlled trial undertaken in 2016. A protocol describing the study, recruitment and intervention results are available via the link below, along with other research papers on app-based behaviour change campaigns, social media recruitment, and gamification.
– Is social media an effective channel for recruiting individuals to public health campaigns?
– Can smartphone apps effectively change knowledge, attitudes and behaviour?
– How can gamification techniques be used to engage participation in health apps?
Click on the link below to see research papers on social media recruitment, app-based behaviour change campaigns, and gamification.
Get in touch
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