A recently released study suggests that SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring® (SCRAM CAM®) can support better outcomes among individuals in voluntary alcohol treatment programs. “Experiences with SCRAMx alcohol monitoring technology in 100 alcohol treatment outpatients,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, looked at the feasibility and results of using transdermal alcohol monitoring in a clinical treatment setting. The conclusion: a large majority of the study’s participants felt SCRAM CAM helped them reduce or stop drinking with little or no interference with their daily lives.
Participant Reactions
The study is the largest of its kind and the first randomized clinical trial to use this technology in alcohol treatment patients. The study’s 100 participants had been diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder for at least one year, wore a SCRAM CAM bracelet for 12 consecutive weeks, and received financial rewards and prizes for successfully submitting data and completing the study.
As part of the study, participants were surveyed on physical and mental barriers of wearing the bracelet. The majority reported that SCRAM CAM did not interfere with daily life and had minimal physical side effects. Most participants said the bracelet had little or no impact on:
- general activity (85%) or exercise (89%)
- normal work (89%) or their ability to concentrate (94%)
- their enjoyment of life (82%), mood (87%), or social life (86%)
Most participants reported that the bracelet did not cause them to lose sleep and nearly half noticed the bracelet only once or twice during the day. One participant stated that the bracelet “helped me at times to think different and stay out of trouble,” and another noted, “it keeps you mindful.”
SCRAM CAM Helps Reduce Drinking
Most importantly, 81% of participants reported that SCRAM CAM was useful in reducing their drinking and believed that it ultimately helped with their recovery and understanding addiction. Nearly half of participants said they were able to stop drinking completely. Three-quarters of participants said they would wear the bracelet longer than the study’s 12-week term—a common duration for outpatient treatment.
Over the course of the study, there were high rates of adherence with minimal reports of consequences and side effects of wearing the bracelet. The combined outcomes of the study support the use of SCRAM CAM for alcohol use disorder and treatment.
