Poster: Using mobile phones to facilitate alcohol dependent patients to improve family communication

This paper describes a pilot study involving alcohol-dependent patients and their family members aimed at identifying salient themes to guide the design of a mobile support system. We then developed a phone-based support system that facilitates communication between patients and their family members. The patient self-administers breath alcohol tests using a portable breathalyzer and self-reports moods and alcohol cravings. This information can then be shared with select family members who subsequently provide responses, such as encouragement or suggestions. The patients do not directly reply to the encouragement or suggestions, but rather use the same app to indirectly rate family's responses according to their effectiveness in assisting them to remain sober. These indirect ratings as well as other data provided by patients and family members can be used during following group interventions to assist counselors (the treatment team) in making suggestions about future intra-family communications, with the aim of breaking many of the negative loops that would otherwise impede positive interactions and the effectiveness of treatment.