Bicycle Health and OpiAID research the impact of wearable technology on virtual opioid use disorder treatment

The companies seek to learn if biometrics and data science can help personalize treatment plans, identify withdrawal symptoms and help patients find long-term recovery


BOSTON, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bicycle Health, the nation’s largest provider of virtual opioid addiction treatment, announced a research pilot with OpiAID, a company that uses wearable technology to offer real-time monitoring, biometric insights, and machine learning algorithms to help support opioid use disorder treatment. The two companies seek to understand if wearables can support patients starting treatment with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in a virtual setting.

“MOUD is the gold standard of care. A patient’s first two weeks of treatment are critical to maximize the likelihood that they will stay in treatment,” said Bicycle Health’s chief medical officer, Dr. Brian Clear, M.D. “We work closely with patients to monitor their response to treatment and intervene to adjust dosage and improve their response. This research will explore if wearables and biometrics can help us better understand a patient’s response to treatment, and ultimately empower us to use that data to personalize care and help patients find long-term recovery.”

The research study will observe select Bicycle Health patients who have opted in for monitoring during their first two weeks of treatment, which is often the most vulnerable and critical time in a patient’s recovery journey. Patients will wear a smartwatch that will measure biometric data, like heart rate and movement. The researchers will analyze those indicators against OpiAID’s algorithms, pill bottle detectors from Medsense Health and self-reported patient data to map patterns.

“Bicycle Health’s virtual care model increases access to high-quality opioid use disorder care for people everywhere. We’re excited to partner with them to discover if together we can optimize virtual care with data science and tools that have never before been used for this kind of care,” said David Reeser, founder and CEO of OpiAID. “It’s a simple idea: monitor the body’s response to treatment, and use that data to help make better care decisions. But the impact for patients and virtual treatment could be huge.”

Additional clinical research about opioid use disorder and virtual treatment can be found at Bicycle Health’s research hub. To learn more about OpiAID biometrics, visit opiaid.ai/product.

About Bicycle Health
Bicycle Health is the leading telehealth provider of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in the United States, offering an evidence-based clinical care model that includes FDA-approved Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT), access to a highly-trained team of medical experts, recovery coaching, a customized treatment plan, and peer support groups. Bicycle Health’s mission is to address the country’s number one public health crisis by helping to reduce stigmas associated with opioid addiction and providing access to affordable, convenient, and confidential tele-MOUD treatment for individuals in need. The company’s “whole person” approach to treatment encourages patients to focus on their life passions and goals, which has been shown to play a vital role in recovery. For more information, visit www.bicyclehealth.com.

About OpiAId
OpiAID is a data science company making the treatment of substance use disorder safer and more effective. We do this because we love our Neighbors in recovery. What we offer is timely and actionable data to support clinical decision making.

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LaunchSquad for Bicycle Health
bicyclehealth@launchsquad.com