Projects
We conduct research around the development and implementation of innovative digital solutions to meet the needs of people facing addiction. We do this by creating a network of shared knowledge and we are committed to a design philosophy based on person centredness, visual and inclusive communication, collaboration, co-creation and continuous improvement.
- Finding evidence for the core elements of digital interventions that enhance the therapeutic relationship.
- Proposing and adapting a tool to measure the improvements that the introduction of those core elements of digital interventions bring to the therapeutic relationship once implemented.
- Proposing and piloting improvements to the Near Me platform as well as a package of features/addons that could be added to Near Me to improve the therapeutic relationship and, consequently, engage more people in treatment.
We lead on the delivery of human-centered design sessions including usability testing, co-design sessions and interviews, with people with lived and living experience using drugs and their service providers.
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Increasing Engagement of Opioid Users in Treatment through Online Consultations (TMAT 2 OLE)
The Telehealth-Mediated Medication Assisted Treatment and Online Engagement (TMAT-OLE) focussed on increasing the engagement of people who use opioids in treatment through online consultations. The 20-month TMAT-OLE project was funded by the Scottish Government’s Digital Lifelines Initiative and the ministerial Drug Deaths Taskforce and ran from 1st September 2022 to 1st May 2024. The project…
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Developing a risk management framework for, and piloting, telemedicine-deivered medication for opioid use disorder (TMOUD 3)
The Scottish Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards are an integral part of addressing rising drug deaths in Scotland. The first five standards are specific to the delivery of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) such as methadone and buprenorphine and include provision for same day access, choice of medication, assertive outreach and anticipatory care, harm…
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Increasing Engagement of Opioid Users in Treatment through Online Consultations
For people who use drugs (PWUD), engagement in treatment not only increases the chances of recovery but also decreases the chances of drug-related death and all-cause mortality. Funded by the Scottish Government’s Digital Lifelines initiative, this project aims to increase treatment coverage and engagement with treatment of people with substance abuse disorders in Scotland, especially…
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Digital Addictions Services (DADE)
Funded the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), this project aimed to produce a practical, treatment focussed typology of digital health interventions for drug addiction as well as systematic and rapid reviews to support evidence for these interventions. Outputs Tay Wee Teck, J. (November 2022) ‘Developing a functional taxonomy for Digital Health Interventions…
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Overdose Detection and Response Alert Technologies (ODART)
This project aimed to develop technological solutions to reduce drug overdoses. It was carried out in partnership with the University of Stirling supported by the Digital and Technology group of the Drugs Research Network for Scotland (DRNS). This project was launched in February 2021 and delivered four main workstreams: We have completed the first phase of the project…
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Medical student projects
Medical students at the University of St Andrews who are interested in exclusion health, addiction care, and/or digital innovations in healthcare contribute to DigitAS’ work through their student research projects. The following student research projects were supervised by DigitAS staff: Project title Student Year Output Digital exclusion among people experiencing homelessness: a scoping review Hui…
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Telemedicine-mediated Medication Assisted Treatment: Model Development (TMAT1)
This project was funded by the Scottish Ministerial Drug Deaths Taskforce and delivered in partnership with the University of Stirling in 2020. The goal was to develop collaborative good practice guidelines for delivering Telemedicine mediated Medication Assisted Treatment (TMAT) for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Outputs Tay Wee Teck J, Gittins R, Zlatkute G, Oteo A,…
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International consensus on principles and best practice guidance on using telemedicine to deliver medication for opioid use disorder
This study aims to develop global consensus on principles and best practice guidance on how to deliver medication for opioid use disorder such as methadone and buprenorphine through telemedicine. The project is an initiative of DigitAS at the University of St Andrews and the Global Expert Network at the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM).…