Rewarding recovery: the time is now for contingency management for opioid use disorder

Abstract

Contingency management (i.e. rewarding people, often with money, for achieving their recovery goals) is backed by decades of empirical support yet remains highly underutilized. Rewards are rarely used in real-world clinical practice due to a number of concerns, including most notably, the apparent lack of innovation, as well as moral, philosophical, ethical, and economic concerns, and even federal rules meant to prevent illegal inducements in health care. Still, other opponents argue that some patients will try to "game" the system by simply doing whatever it takes to earn monetary rewards. This paper provides a succinct, up-to-date overview of the current evidence base for contingency management for opioid use disorder. Common barriers and solutions to implementation, as well as implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed. Although important, greater uptake of contingency management interventions is about more than legislation and regulations; it’s about recognizing stigma, shaping attitudes, and increasing awareness. Provider involvement in advocacy efforts at all levels and collaboration involving academic–industry partnerships is necessary to advance the burgeoning digital health care space and improve outcomes for people with opioid use disorder. Key Messages Contingency management is highly effective but highly underutilized. Low uptake is largely attributed to a lack of innovation and moral, ethical, and economic concerns, among other barriers. Technology-enabled solutions and academic–industry partnerships are critical to advance opioid use disorder care.