Evidence.

Scientific evidence is at the heart of CHESS Health.

In clinical trials and in provider implementations, individuals using the Connections App had more treatment services, completed IOP treatment 20% more often, and were 30% less likely to drop-out early from OP treatment.

A Medicaid MCO did a retrospective claims analysis comparing members who used Connection App and found these members were 2.9x less likely to incur a readmission to a residential/inpatient level of care than members – the resulting cost of care savings averaged $278 per member per month.

Using the app for longer than 30 days correlates to a 40% reduction in risk factor measures (difficulty sleeping, relationship troubles, struggle with cravings, etc.) measured through weekly patient assessments.

Our platform was co-founded by University of Wisconsin professor David H. Gustafson, PhD, who developed the “ACHESS” smartphone app and validated its effectiveness in multiple studies. We have since added a partnership with Yale School of Medicine professor Kathleen M. Carroll, PhD, with the goal of commercializing her innovative, clinically-validated online programs for sustained recovery.

The body of evidence supporting the efficacy of the CHESS Health platform also includes results and case studies from customers who have implemented our solutions.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles Featuring CHESS Health Technology

Oklahoma Study Shows Positive Outcomes with Outpatient App

In 2021, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) partnered with CHESS Health to deploy prevention, outreach, and recovery support resources to providers across the state. In 2022, ODHMSAS’s Director David Wright conducted a study that concluded that outpatient participants using CHESS Health’s Connections smartphone app experienced better treatment outcomes. When…

Pharmacotherapy and Mobile Health for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders

The Mobile Patient Opportunities for Wellness, Engagement, and Recovery (mPOWER) project was developed to explore alternative therapies for a high-risk, high-need population prone to frequent addiction crisis, emergency medical, and psychiatric services utilization. The study incorporated patient feedback, satisfaction levels, utilization statistics, and population readmission rates as outcome measures. This research report presents findings from…

App Usage Increases Treatment Compliance and Sessions for Women in Appalachia

Longer retention in treatment is associated with positive outcomes. For women, who suffer worse drug-related problems than men, social technologies, which are more readily adopted by women, may offer promise. This naturalistic study examined whether a smartphone-based relapse-prevention system, A-CHESS (Addiction-Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System), could improve retention for women with substance use disorders in an impoverished rural setting.

CHESS Health Implementation Results and Case Studies

Enabling Staff to Address Triggers for High Drug Use and Overdose in Rural West Virginia

Addressing High Drug Use and Overdose in Rural West Virginia

Quarantines and closings triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated long-standing difficulties facing care providers in remote areas of West Virginia, a population already facing some of the highest rates of substance use disorder in the nation. During the pandemic, drug overdose deaths in West Virginia almost doubled.  Staff at the Southwestern Regional Day Report Center…
Chaves County CASA focuses on providing resources to community members with substance use disorder and addiction

Rural Realities: Tackling Mental Health and Substance Use in Chaves County

Residents in rural Chaves County in southeastern New Mexico are facing a crisis – high poverty levels combined with mental health issues and substance use disorder rates which are among the highest in the nation. Service providers there, struggling with a dearth of in-person resources, have turned to CHESS Health to bolster efforts to identify…
ADAMHS Board in Hancock County Ohio focuses on tackling substance use orders

Hancock County’s Approach to Tackling SUD

Amid a surge in health issues linked to alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hancock County, Ohio’s mental health and substance use disorders coalition sought assistance from CHESS Health to expand its impact. The outcome: heightened community engagement and the widespread availability of continuous support and essential resources for county residents.

Want to
learn more?

Get in touch with us to hear more about how we can help your organization.

Read FCOI Policy.