Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Develop an emergency app for addicts – Aftenbladet.no

Around the table sits four that have experience with drugs and one who has experience from technology in Light. They discuss the next steps for the development of what was hatched during the workshop “Bright Ideas” recently: a crisis application on your smartphone.

– When you are in treatment, you have people around you all the time. People who speak with you, ask how it goes and makes sure you keep on with treatment. When you get out, get a responsibility to master your life. For most people this is a very tough transition, says Alex.

He has a past drug use, but has been free of substance for several years. Now he is employed by Health Stavanger, and want to add the old life behind. Therefore, he wants to remain anonymous.

– The days can go steeply up and down when going out in the community again. This app works so you touch a key sends a signal to contacts you have added to the app. The first on the list receive the message and know that you are in crisis. Then he can call you up and go directly to the point, he does not ask how it goes, but quickly suggest solutions. If this person can not call you up, the signal goes to the next on the list, he said.



Profitable cooperation

The reason for this cooperation is the need for continuous development of welfare technology in municipalities that are co-owners Lyse. Marit Hagland in Bright Smart Welfare says this could be the start of a long-term cooperation.

– Rio Addicts Interest Organization, won the best idea during Bright Ideas. Now the organization has received 30,000 crowns and 15 hour counseling from innovation department Light and counseling in service design of Bright Smart.

– The idea for Rio’s smart, it’s simple, it costs almost nothing and is based on volunteerism. The project is feasible and it is cost effective for society if it works, she says. Hagland estimates that it will take six months to develop the application. Thereafter, it shall be tested.



Request assistance too late

Paul Berger from Rio says a person who is struggling with substance abuse is not one that can easily ask for help.

– Research shows that people who are struggling with substance abuse requesting help for rare or too late. An app that allows you to ask for help at a keystroke can make this easier. 80 percent of relapses occur just after treatment. Most overdose deaths also occurs just after one is gotten out of treatment institution. I think a simple opportunity to ask for help can save lives, says Berger.

Berger and the others who have experience with substance abuse, says the public assistance agencies have not taken into account the fact what chance there is of the smartphone

– Youth is on the phone, on various social media all the time. Therefore it is this support system must utilize a completely different way than today, they say.

– This app one should learn to use while in treatment. I think it can provide a secure framework in life, one knows that there are people there who can set up. How good is not to get someone when one is tired, says Marlen Lie.



Can be developed

Bright and Addicts interest organization thinks that this technology can also be used by second and extended to other areas.

– To develop new technological aids in treatment is as important as developing new drugs or other chemical aids, says Alex.

– We are dedicated to measuring the effect of such app, so we have contact with a research that we hope can test this out. We believe it also can develop such an activity application. This means that if you’re sitting there lonely and do not have the large network around you, you can press the app, and when it emerges various activities that you can participate in, he said.

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