Digital Therapeutic for Opioid Use Disorder Cuts Medical Costs

A prescription digital therapeutic authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration for the delivery of neurobehavioral therapy to patients with opioid use disorder treated with buprenorphine reduced hospital-based medical costs by $2385 per engaged patient, according to study findings published online ahead of print in Hospital Practice.

“Engagement and continued treatment with reSET-O in patients with opioid use disorder treated with buprenorphine is associated with substantial real-world reductions in medical costs in the 6-month period following the initiation of the reSET-O prescription,” researchers wrote.

The study looked at claims for health care resource utilization 6 months before and 6 months after prescription of reSET-O, which operates on mobile devices. Among 351 total patients prescribed the digital therapeutic, the analysis focused on 321 patients who continued on therapy after week 1 and were thus considered “engaged patients.”

Over all 321 patients, reSET-O treatment was associated with a cost reduction of $765,450, or $2385 per patient, in the 6 months after it was prescribed, according to the study.

Prescription costs for reSET-O were $584,415 across all engaged patients, or $1665 per patient. However, refunds to payers offset costs $49,950 overall, or $142.31 per patient.

“The medical cost reduction in engaged patients offset the cost of the therapeutic,” researchers reported, “resulting in an overall cost reduction of $230,985 in this cohort (net savings of $720 per patient).”

To avoid an inpatient visit, the number needed to treat was 4.8, the study showed.

Reference:
Velez FF, Colman S, Kauffman L, Anastassopoulos K, Murphy S, Maricich Y. Real-world changes in US health system hospital-based services following treatment with a prescription digital therapeutic for opioid use disorder [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jul 19]. Hosp Pract (1995). 2021;10.1080/21548331.2021.1956256. doi:10.1080/21548331.2021.1956256