BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Implementation Science
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1640311
This article is part of the Research TopicDissemination and Implementation Science in MedicineView all 11 articles
Feasibility and effectiveness of a smartphone access program for promoting engagement in care among perinatal people with substance use disorders: A pilot study
Provisionally accepted
Daisy Goodman1*
Lisa Lamadriz1Katherine Stokes1Meagan Adams1Haley Martell1Kathleen Robie1
Elizabeth Saunders2- 1Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, United States
- 2Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, United States
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Results: Providers, staff, and patients universally found the smartphone access program useful, perceiving that it improved patient engagement in digital and in-clinic care. From 2021-2024, 44 patients with SUD participated in the smartphone program for an average of 162 days. Cohort 1 entered prenatal care later, attended fewer prenatal visits, and were more likely to have psychiatric comorbidity than Cohorts 2 and 3. After receiving a smartphone, there were no differences in postpartum visits between cohorts, and higher rates of behavioral health and recovery support for Cohort 1.Discussion: In a rural obstetric clinic, implementing a free smartphone program for perinatal patients with SUD was feasible, acceptable. Though there was no difference in prenatal care utilization, patients who received a smartphone engaged in robust postpartum care and behavioral healthcare utilization. Addressing digital disparities is an essential component of health equity.
Keywords: Daisy Goodman, DNP, MPH, CNM, CARN-AP, perinatal care, feasibility, implementation, engagement, social needs, Healthcare Disparities, substance use disorder, Smartphones
Received: 03 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Goodman, Lamadriz, Stokes, Adams, Martell, Robie and Saunders. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Daisy Goodman, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, United States
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