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Encouraging Abstinence Behavior in a Drug Epidemic: Optimizing Dynamic Incentives
NCT04927143 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Combatting the rise of the opioid epidemic is a central challenge of U.S. health care policy. A promising approach for improving welfare and decreasing medical costs of people with substance abuse disorders is offering incentive payments for healthy behaviors. This approach, broadly known as "contingency management" in the medical literature, has repeatedly shown to be effective in treating substance abuse. However, the use of incentives by treatment facilities remains extremely low. Furthermore, it is not well understood how to design optimal incentives to treat opioid abuse. This project will conduct a randomized evaluation of two types of dynamically adjusting incentive schedules for people with opioid use disorders or cocaine use disorders: "escalating" schedules where incentive amounts increase with success to increase incentive power, and "de-escalating" schedules where incentive amounts decrease with success to improve incentive targeting. Both schemes are implemented with a novel "turnkey" mobile application, making them uniquely low-cost, low-hassle, and scalable. Effects will be measured on abstinence outcomes, including longest duration of abstinence and the percentage of negative drug tests. In combination with survey data, variation from the experiment will shed light on the barriers to abstinence more broadly and inform the understanding of optimal incentive design.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL App-Based Contingency Management
- BEHAVIORAL Sham Control
Study Locations (2)
Wisconsin
- Rogers Behavioral Health — Oconomowoc
- Advocate Aurora Behavioral Health Services — Wauwatosa
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 600 participants |
| Start Date | 2021-09-15 |
| Est. Completion | 2026-09 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT04927143
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT04927143 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 600 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which has 1,061 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 7 conditions, with Opioid Use appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 2 interventions — of which App-Based Contingency Management is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT04927143 reports 2 study locations spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Wisconsin. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT04927143 about?
NCT04927143 is a clinical study titled "Encouraging Abstinence Behavior in a Drug Epidemic: Optimizing Dynamic Incentives". Combatting the rise of the opioid epidemic is a central challenge of U.S. health care policy. A promising approach for improving welfare and decreasing medical costs of people with substance abuse disorders is offering incentive payments for healthy behaviors. This approach, broadly known as "contin...
What is the current status of trial NCT04927143?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 600 participants. The study started on 2021-09-15. Estimated completion is 2026-09.
What conditions does trial NCT04927143 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Opioid Use, Substance Use, Opioid-use Disorder, Cocaine Use Disorder, Methamphetamine Abuse. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT04927143?
The interventions under investigation include: App-Based Contingency Management (BEHAVIORAL), Sham Control (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT04927143?
This trial is sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which has 1,061 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT04927143 being conducted?
This trial has 2 study locations across Wisconsin. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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