Barriers to Technology Access in Inpatient Addiction Treatment

Participants randomized to the control group could technically access the ODR software, which is free and available to members of the public. Yet to do so, they would [1 ] need to seek out the platform on their own and [2 (link)] navigate the technological barriers to using the software for unresolved legal issues. Our fieldwork in treatment centers shows that we expect low control group uptake of the software due to inpatient clients’ lack of access to technology, low or limited levels of technology literacy for many clients in our participant demographic, combined with low literacy levels reported among many clients, and lack of knowledge that this resource exists or how to navigate it successfully. While inpatient, clients have very limited access to phones and computers, and internet access is generally limited to scheduled and monitored supportive services with a staff member present, such as completing an application for food assistance. Approximately 1 in 3 clients identifies as having literacy difficulties, either with reading, with technology, or a visual impairment that inhibits their ability to access and utilize a web browser without a support person. Finally, like many public resources, uptake rates can be limited among vulnerable populations, who may not know the resource exists and have barriers to accessing it successfully.