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Can a Chatbot-delivered Alcohol Intervention Engage Users and Enhance Outcomes Over a Smartphone App? Development and Feasibility Testing of a StepAway 'Bot'

Award Number: R34AA026440
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT A wide gap exists between the number of individuals needing alcohol treatment and those actually receiving it. Many factors account for this gap, including stigma, treatment availability and affordability, and individuals wanting to solve their problems independently. Technologically-delivered interventions may dramatically increase the number of individuals who receive needed alcohol intervention services due to their ability to circumvent treatment barriers. Smartphones are the ideal devices to provide empirically-supported intervention assistance whenever and wherever it is needed. Our research team previously developed and tested a stand-alone, self-administered smartphone-based intervention system for alcohol use disorders that was based on empirically supported face-to-face treatments. This Location-Based Monitoring and Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorders (LBMI-A) system provided a progression through psychoeducational modules and in-the-moment interventions to reduce the likelihood of drinking. In a preliminary 6-week trial study, we contrasted the LBMI-A with a web-based intervention, the Drinker's Checkup (DCU) that was supplemented with bibliotherapy. While alcohol consumption was reduced by >50% in both interventions, only the LBMI-A produced a significant increase in percentage of days abstinent. Greater LBMI-A usage was associated with greater reductions in drinking. A revised and improved iPhone-based version, Step Away, has been developed and has been used by individuals downloading it from the iTunes App Store. Our Step Away usage data indicate that user engagement with modules that are not “pushed” to the user is relatively low, which is a problem that many health apps experience. A new method of delivering Step Away through an artificially intelligent chatbot will be developed in this study that holds potential for providing enhanced user engagement and effectiveness as it can reach out through a text interface to introduce new intervention steps and respond to the user with Step Away's in-the-moment help with having a craving, experiencing distress or needing social support. It could serve as a personal assistant that guides a user through a process of changing their drinking. This project will focus on developing a Step Away chatbot during the first phase of the study. We will also enhance the existing Step Away app's user interface for optimal usability. The second phase will entail performing a pilot study to determine if the Step Away chatbot has enhanced user engagement, intervention fidelity and outcome efficacy in comparison to the Step Away app among a group of problem drinkers. A control condition will consist of a minimal intervention; an assessment-only app. Participants will be interviewed to determine their perceptions of both interventions with a view towards understanding barriers to user engagement. Finally, this project will set the stage for a further, large-scale evaluation of Step Away, the content of which will be determined by the outcome of the pilot study.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = -$47,596 )
2022	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	3	3/7/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$47,596
														Subtotal = -$47,596

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $140,643 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	3	8/11/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$140,643
														Subtotal = $140,643

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $217,350 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	2	8/12/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$217,350
														Subtotal = $217,350

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $292,950 )
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	002	1	9/24/2018	NEW	$292,950
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	000	1	8/24/2018	NEW	$292,950
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE	3211 PROVIDENCE DR	ANCHORAGE	AK	99508	ANCHORAGE	USA	Alcohol Research Programs	001	1	9/21/2018	NEW	-$292,950
														Subtotal = $292,950

Grand Total All Awards = $603,347

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Can a Chatbot-delivered Alcohol Intervention Engage Users and Enhance Outcomes Over a Smartphone App? Development and Feasibility Testing of a StepAway 'Bot'

Award Number: R34AA026440

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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