“It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management
Abstract Introduction Increasingly, services for the management of substance use disorders have been developed or adapted for remote delivery. Limited research has investigated service user experience of these services. We undertook a qualitative sub-study, embedded within a pilot feasibility study...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-025-00585-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849331701455519744 |
|---|---|
| author | Nikki Bozinoff Divya Prasad Ke Bin Xiao Anthony Ngoy Bernard Le Foll Anna Gordezky Christian S. Hendershot Sandra LaFleur Lena C. Quilty Victor M. Tang Tara Marie Watson Matthew E. Sloan |
| author_facet | Nikki Bozinoff Divya Prasad Ke Bin Xiao Anthony Ngoy Bernard Le Foll Anna Gordezky Christian S. Hendershot Sandra LaFleur Lena C. Quilty Victor M. Tang Tara Marie Watson Matthew E. Sloan |
| author_sort | Nikki Bozinoff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Increasingly, services for the management of substance use disorders have been developed or adapted for remote delivery. Limited research has investigated service user experience of these services. We undertook a qualitative sub-study, embedded within a pilot feasibility study of remote symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management, to better understand the experiences of participants. Our aim was to determine the acceptability of the intervention and refine intervention procedures. Methods Eligible participants were enrolled in the parent study and completed at least one day of telemedicine-delivered symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management. Individuals were adults with alcohol use disorder recruited using intensity sampling. Participants completed an audio-recorded, semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke interpretive methodology. Results Fourteen individuals were enrolled in the study. Six themes were identified: benefits of being in the home environment, technological tensions, intervention-specific feedback, personal motivations for participation, post-program achievements and changes and navigating the ‘system’. Participants identified numerous benefits of being in the home environment including: increased comfort, privacy and security, normalizing abstinence in the home, flexibility to engage in other tasks, and the convenience of not travelling. Intervention-specific feedback included positive aspects of the intervention (interactions with staff, accountability, counselling, use of medication), areas for improvement (preparation, scheduling, medication logistics, and aftercare), and the meaning and role of having a support person available during treatment. Conclusion Participants found remote alcohol withdrawal management to be satisfactory and associated with several benefits including increased comfort, privacy, normalizing abstinence in the home, flexibility and convenience. They also provided important feedback for refinement of the intervention. Findings suggest that remote alcohol withdrawal management could play an important role in improving access to medical management of alcohol withdrawal, particularly in rural, remote or underserved areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb7ad684e8b542f694d97614cf1cad22 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1940-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb7ad684e8b542f694d97614cf1cad222025-08-20T03:46:25ZengBMCAddiction Science & Clinical Practice1940-06402025-08-0120111110.1186/s13722-025-00585-8“It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal managementNikki Bozinoff0Divya Prasad1Ke Bin Xiao2Anthony Ngoy3Bernard Le Foll4Anna Gordezky5Christian S. Hendershot6Sandra LaFleur7Lena C. Quilty8Victor M. Tang9Tara Marie Watson10Matthew E. Sloan11Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthRemote Alcohol Withdrawal Community Advisory Board, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences and Institute for Addiction Science, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaRemote Alcohol Withdrawal Community Advisory Board, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of TorontoAddictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthAbstract Introduction Increasingly, services for the management of substance use disorders have been developed or adapted for remote delivery. Limited research has investigated service user experience of these services. We undertook a qualitative sub-study, embedded within a pilot feasibility study of remote symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management, to better understand the experiences of participants. Our aim was to determine the acceptability of the intervention and refine intervention procedures. Methods Eligible participants were enrolled in the parent study and completed at least one day of telemedicine-delivered symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management. Individuals were adults with alcohol use disorder recruited using intensity sampling. Participants completed an audio-recorded, semi-structured interview. Thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke interpretive methodology. Results Fourteen individuals were enrolled in the study. Six themes were identified: benefits of being in the home environment, technological tensions, intervention-specific feedback, personal motivations for participation, post-program achievements and changes and navigating the ‘system’. Participants identified numerous benefits of being in the home environment including: increased comfort, privacy and security, normalizing abstinence in the home, flexibility to engage in other tasks, and the convenience of not travelling. Intervention-specific feedback included positive aspects of the intervention (interactions with staff, accountability, counselling, use of medication), areas for improvement (preparation, scheduling, medication logistics, and aftercare), and the meaning and role of having a support person available during treatment. Conclusion Participants found remote alcohol withdrawal management to be satisfactory and associated with several benefits including increased comfort, privacy, normalizing abstinence in the home, flexibility and convenience. They also provided important feedback for refinement of the intervention. Findings suggest that remote alcohol withdrawal management could play an important role in improving access to medical management of alcohol withdrawal, particularly in rural, remote or underserved areas.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-025-00585-8Alcohol withdrawalPatient perspectivesQualitativeTelemedicineRemote |
| spellingShingle | Nikki Bozinoff Divya Prasad Ke Bin Xiao Anthony Ngoy Bernard Le Foll Anna Gordezky Christian S. Hendershot Sandra LaFleur Lena C. Quilty Victor M. Tang Tara Marie Watson Matthew E. Sloan “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management Addiction Science & Clinical Practice Alcohol withdrawal Patient perspectives Qualitative Telemedicine Remote |
| title | “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| title_full | “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| title_fullStr | “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| title_full_unstemmed | “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| title_short | “It beats the hell out of going to a hospital”: service user experiences of telemedicine-based symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| title_sort | it beats the hell out of going to a hospital service user experiences of telemedicine based symptom triggered alcohol withdrawal management |
| topic | Alcohol withdrawal Patient perspectives Qualitative Telemedicine Remote |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-025-00585-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nikkibozinoff itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT divyaprasad itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT kebinxiao itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT anthonyngoy itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT bernardlefoll itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT annagordezky itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT christianshendershot itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT sandralafleur itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT lenacquilty itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT victormtang itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT taramariewatson itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement AT matthewesloan itbeatsthehelloutofgoingtoahospitalserviceuserexperiencesoftelemedicinebasedsymptomtriggeredalcoholwithdrawalmanagement |