Supportive Texting Chatbot for Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Opioid Use Disorder to Reduce Loneliness and Improve Care Engagement

What this Trial Is About

The opioid use epidemic in the US has significantly increased among women of childbearing age, especially those giving birth, leading to higher risks of serious maternal and infant complications. This research focuses on perinatal women with opioid use disorder OUD and aims to adapt a texting support chatbot, Penny, specifically for this group. The adapted chatbot, called Penny COPILOT, is designed to support engagement in perinatal and OUD care and reduce loneliness and social isolation, which are important factors in OUD management during pregnancy and postpartum. The study involves adapting Penny into Penny COPILOT, an interactive SMS chatbot that provides educational and supportive messages tailored to postpartum individuals with OUD. The chatbot allows two-way texting and sends messages at key postpartum intervals relevant to recovery. The research includes needs assessment interviews, advisory board input, pretesting for safety and user experience, and a pilot test to evaluate acceptability, feasibility, and patient satisfaction among perinatal women with OUD. Participants will be involved in interviews, focus groups, and surveys to assess loneliness, social isolation, opioid use, mental health, and healthcare engagement. Assessments include baseline and 3-month follow-up using tools like the UCLA Loneliness Scale and opioid use questionnaires. The study collects data from self-reports and electronic medical records to monitor outcomes. The overall goal is to create a supportive texting chatbot that encourages care engagement and reduces perceived loneliness in this vulnerable population.

Adapting the Penny Chatbot for Perinatal OUD Patients: COPILOT