Using wearable data to anticipate relapse, strengthen prevention

Assistant Professor Seol Ju Esther Moon, center, discusses her current project with research assistants Pearl Fang and McKay Hall.

While wearable technologies, like a Fitbit or Whoop, are increasingly being used in research, there is limited use of them in substance use disorder research.

Assistant Professor Seol Ju Esther Moon, PhD, RN, is examining ways to improve that by incorporating wearable technology into opioid use (OUD) disorder research to facilitate symptom monitoring to prevent relapse.

“Before a relapse happens, before return to use happens, there are signs and I think that’s the golden time we have as nurses and clinicians to intervene,” says Moon. “The wearable technology tells us that. When we’re looking at trends, we can see when someone isn’t doing well so we can check in.” 

Moon’s recent research, A brief report: Lessons learned using wearable technology to collect data from adults receiving medications for opioid use disorder published in the Journal of Substance Abuse, assessed adherence patterns to a wrist-worn wearable device. It provided insight from incorporating wearable technology to collect physiological data from adults with opioid use disorder.

Overall, the participants, who were receiving medications for opioid use disorder, demonstrated moderate to good wearable adherence during the 8-week data collection period. 

Additionally, the study explored the early signs and symptoms of relapse. Moon was particularly interested in heart rate variability (HRV). A higher resting HRV typically indicates better stress resilience. Overall, the weekly HRV showed stability during the study with a slight increasing trend during the study period. 

“Longitudinal monitoring of HRV may provide clinical benefits, including early detection of overdose risks, assessment of treatment efficacy, and management of psychiatric conditions,” says Moon.

Moon sees the widespread acceptance of wearables as an opportunity to enhance self-awareness and proactive management of early symptoms of relapse for people with OUD.

“Enhancing self-awareness and monitoring of physiological parameters related to relapse symptoms may facilitate prompt interventions as part of relapse prevention,” says Moon.

Moon’s current research, Biometric and Ecological Assessment using Technology in Opioid Use Disorder, is studying the use of wearable technology and daily surveys to explore signs and symptoms of relapse.

“It’s a very complex situation when a person returns to use. It’s not just one trigger. It’s a little bit of a lot of factors, with internal and external triggers,” says Moon. “A wearable piece that provides data may be able to help people be more aware of their conditions and understand their treatment and process better and help professionals know when they need to check in.”