Translating Research into Practice

At Sonara Health, research is the foundation of our science-informed and equity-led treatment. We seek to transform who can use digital health solutions, thereby expanding equitable access to life saving medication through guided remote observation.

Sonara has shown increased patient satisfaction, retention, and medication adherence, even among populations with low and/or limited levels of connectivity.

Research and Clinical Studies

Sonara Health is the recipient of federal grants, which include Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants from the National Institutes of Health. These grants have funded the following clinical studies.

View NIH Funding Policy

The Responsibly Expanding Access to Life-Saving Methadone (REALM) study was a feasibility and usability assessment of Sonara, conducted in the spring of 2022 to help facilitate increased access to take-home methadone in response to SAMHSA’s relaxed take-home guidelines. REALM was administered in partnership with Baymark Health Services, and researchers at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Stanford University, with support from NIDA.
Four opioid treatment programs (OTPs) from across the county (2 in CA, 1 in NM, and 1 in MA) were invited to participate based on their ethnic and geographical diversity. Sonara coordinated with clinic directors to recruit 99 patients and 20 staff members across the sites for a series of quantitative and quantitative interviews on the usability of Sonara, its impact on patient’s lives in- and outside the clinic, and its effect on clinic operations.
Patients rated Sonara highly for usability while clinic staff found Sonara easy to integrate into their clinical processes. Patients in particular values the increased access to take-home methadone, which in turn allowed them more time for employment, and social and family activities. They also liked the increased accountability that Sonara provided and rated their experience with Sonara more highly than their experience with unsupervised take-homes.
Clinic directors and staff recognized Sonara as an innovation the improved patients’ quality of life, equipped them with new tools that supported patients’ recoveries, and gave them a competitive advantage in the OTP marketplace.
Sonara continues to be actively used in all four OTPs that participated in REALM and is expanding to other sites in partnership with Baymark Health Services
The Remotely Observed Methadone Evaluation (ROME) study is to be conducted in the Fall of 2022, in partnership with the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Adapt Integrated Health Care. Funding is being provided via a grant from the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative.
ROME has three primary aims:
To conduct feasibility testing of Sonara with patient- and clinician facing web applications and evaluate performance
Develop and integrate Machine Learning (ML) features such as facial recognition and methadone vial position tracking for automated dosing event interpretation
Assess the acceptability and demand of Sonara among providers and select patient populations