Our story and mission

As early as 2002, Professor Baldacchino has been collaborating with international colleagues in understanding the impact and role of digital technology on drug addiction. Beginning with work with the European Commission on the Psychonaut project (2002) examining the role of the internet on drug addiction, and later with the Overdose Risk InfOrmatioN (ORION) project (2011-2013) as an early example of the potential role of data linkage studies to reduce drug related deaths. Since 2016, Professor Baldacchino has highlighted several digital technologies which will change the delivery of health and social care, including for people seeking help for addictions. These technologies included smartphone applications, increased connectivity through wireless mobile telecommunications technology and the Global Positioning System (GPS), advanced wireless biosensors and wearables, digital therapeutics and personalised medicine and big data linkage and analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of many of these technologies, but not necessarily in a consistent and equitable manner across disciplines, sectors and jurisdictions. For example, the use of telemedicine in delivering care for Opioid Use Disorder through the pandemic was not common in Scotland compared with the US and Canada despite a robust technology infrastructure and comparable drug related death rates in all three countries. Further, a common finding across healthcare systems, including in the provision of addiction care, is a lag between the introduction of evidence-based innovation and its successful implementation and widespread adoption.

The Digital Health Interventions in Addiction Services (DigitAS) project has evolved to better understand the role of technology in improving person centred addiction care. To do this, we balance a pragmatic and deep understanding of the complex system which is healthcare, including disconnects between evidence and knowledge, frontline experiences, and leadership decisions.

We apply an equity focused implementation science lens to develop an understanding of how technology may or may not address the multiple and interacting drivers of health disparities. We believe this to be a critical approach based on the reality that many people with addictions such as opioid or alcohol use disorder often suffer from poor access to healthcare, multi-morbid health conditions, a reduced life expectancy, poor health outcomes and other health disparities compounded by discrimination and stigma.