Pelago, a digital clinic for substance use remedy, launched a contingency administration program, wherein members are rewarded for wholesome behaviors like partaking in remedy, the corporate introduced Tuesday.
New York Metropolis-based Pelago serves employers and well being plans and helps members combating tobacco, alcohol and opioids. It offers behavioral remedy and medication-assisted remedy packages. The corporate serves sufferers in all 50 states.
Its new contingency administration program is beginning with seven prospects and can assist these battling alcohol use dysfunction, although the corporate plans to increase to further shoppers and different substances sooner or later. Sufferers will obtain a Pelatoken for attaining sure targets, akin to finishing a survey, finishing app check-ins, attending appointments and finishing cognitive behavioral remedy workout routines. Every Pelatoken equals one U.S. greenback, and the rewards could be redeemed as Amazon present playing cards.
“Pelago has created its personal Contingency Administration program with a view to overcome one of many best obstacles to remedy success: engagement and retention in evidence-based care,” stated Dr. Suzette Glasner, chief scientific officer at Pelago and Ph.D. UCLA researcher, in an electronic mail. “By rewarding engagement and growing motivation to maintain involvement with remedy, we’re taking an empirically validated strategy to fixing for this third barrier.”
To trace the success of the brand new program, Pelago’s shoppers will present anonymized claims knowledge. The corporate will evaluate those that obtained contingency administration to those that didn’t obtain contingency administration (however nonetheless obtained Pelago’s substance use administration companies). These comparisons shall be primarily based on three scientific final result domains: engagement, retention and substance use, Glasner stated.
In accordance with the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies, contingency administration for the remedy of substance-use issues is confirmed to be efficient however is underutilized. Glasner stated that is partially due to the “stigma and misconceptions that encompass [substance use disorders] generally, together with that it’s as a result of a scarcity of self management, prison tendencies, or disgrace that usually accompanies somebody with a [substance use disorder].” Nevertheless, broader use of contingency administration could also be wanted, with 37.5 million U.S. staff unable to obtain profitable substance use remedy.
One other firm that makes use of contingency administration for substance use dysfunction is DynamiCare. Nevertheless, Pelago claims to be the “first nationwide digital substance use administration supplier to supply contingency administration.”
In launching the contingency administration program, Pelago goals to optimize its companies and “reward these behaviors most definitely to enhance motivation, engagement, and retention in remedy, thereby enhancing well being outcomes of its members,” Glasner stated.
The launch of this system follows the corporate’s $58 million Sequence C funding spherical that was introduced on the finish of March. The spherical was led by Atomico and included participation from Kinnevik AB, Octopus Ventures, Y Combinator, Eight Roads and GreyMatter Capital.
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