A Fitbit-like device worn on the wrist could be groundbreaking technology in the fight to solve the opioid crisis, say doctors at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.Instead of monitoring users’ steps, however, the device tracks drug use by monitoring body movements, then viewing results on a smartphone.“Someone who’s using cocaine has more of a jittery, disorganized movement in their arms,” said Dr. Peter Chai, who is researching the monitors.So far, 20 people are taking part in the study. Medical experts hope to use the technology to recognize patterns of drug use that lead to an addiction and, in many cases, an overdose.“One of the things we want to figure out is how we can predict when someone who’s in treatment is going to start craving their drug and whether or not we can create an intervention that really, in real time, prevents them from using,” Chai said.UMass Medical School researchers are also studying pills that detect how much and how often patients take pain medication after they leave the hospital.Each capsule contains not only the medicine, but an electronic sensor inside.“There’s a little battery here that activates when it hits stomach acid and that turns on a radio transmitter which sends a unique signal to a phone which downloads it to the cloud,” Boyer said.The end goal for both pieces of technology is to change how pain medications, especially opioids, are prescribed. “The whole idea is to treat pain very effectively and prevent addiction very effectively,” Dr. Ed Boyer said.“Can we help people be well and can we help patients who are in recovery prevent craving or detect craving and really prevent substance use before it happens?” Chai said.Doctors said the technology will take a few years before it rolls out for consumer use.

A Fitbit-like device worn on the wrist could be groundbreaking technology in the fight to solve the opioid crisis, say doctors at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.



Instead of monitoring users’ steps, however, the device tracks drug use by monitoring body movements, then viewing results on a smartphone.




“Someone who’s using cocaine has more of a jittery, disorganized movement in their arms,” said Dr. Peter Chai, who is researching the monitors.



So far, 20 people are taking part in the study. Medical experts hope to use the technology to recognize patterns of drug use that lead to an addiction and, in many cases, an overdose.



“One of the things we want to figure out is how we can predict when someone who’s in treatment is going to start craving their drug and whether or not we can create an intervention that really, in real time, prevents them from using,” Chai said.



UMass Medical School researchers are also studying pills that detect how much and how often patients take pain medication after they leave the hospital.



Each capsule contains not only the medicine, but an electronic sensor inside.



“There’s a little battery here that activates when it hits stomach acid and that turns on a radio transmitter which sends a unique signal to a phone which downloads it to the cloud,” Boyer said.



The end goal for both pieces of technology is to change how pain medications, especially opioids, are prescribed.

“The whole idea is to treat pain very effectively and prevent addiction very effectively,” Dr. Ed Boyer said.



“Can we help people be well and can we help patients who are in recovery prevent craving or detect craving and really prevent substance use before it happens?” Chai said.



Doctors said the technology will take a few years before it rolls out for consumer use.