Tufts Health Plan and addiction treatment provider Spectrum Health Systems today announced a plan with Pear Therapeutics Inc., the leader in Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs), to pilot FDA-authorized digital therapeutics to support members and enhance their recovery journeys. This collaboration supports Tufts Health Plan and Spectrum’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Center of Innovation, a new joint effort between the two entities to address the complicated nature of SUDs and provide solutions for easier treatment access and innovation in care.
“We believe in strong relationships with SUD providers like the New England Recovery Center at Spectrum Health Systems to bring new treatments and innovations to our members, especially given the impact of COVID-19 on members struggling with SUD,” said Emily Bailey, LICSW, vice president of Behavioral Health at Tufts Health Plan. “It is critical, especially now, to ensure our members have access to the resources and treatments needed to support those on a recovery journey from substance use disorder. Spectrum Health Systems and Pear Therapeutics are two strong collaborators that will make innovative resources and digital therapeutics more accessible to our members.”
The SUD Center of Innovation seeks to make innovative and evidence-based changes to the traditional SUD treatment model that supports members in their recovery, while introducing emerging and new technologies to enable greater early recovery success. Through collaboration, aligning financial incentives and technology innovation, Tufts Health Plan and Spectrum can begin to change the traditional SUD treatment pathways, leading to higher quality of life for its members and improved recovery success in the community and across the health care ecosystem for SUD treatment.
SUDs are on the rise in the United States as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spectrum is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by addiction and mental health disorders and has helped clients reclaim their lives with individualized, evidence-based treatment plans. The not-for-profit organization offers a continuum of addiction treatment services across Massachusetts, including medically monitored detoxification, clinical stabilization services, inpatient and outpatient programs and adolescent services for at-risk youth.
“This collaboration with Tufts Health Plan and Pear Therapeutics will bring much-needed attention and resources to addressing substance use disorders in Massachusetts,” said Sherry Ellis, Chief Operating Officer of Spectrum Health Systems. “We are eager to work with Tufts Health Plan and Pear Therapeutics to bring evidence-based treatment to more people throughout the Commonwealth, many of whom would otherwise not be able to access treatment without telehealth and digital alternatives.”
Digital therapeutics could play a critical role in care delivery throughout the pandemic and could make health care more accessible and convenient. Pear is pushing the boundaries of technology to transform medicine and is currently leading the development of the new therapeutics class of PDTs with three FDA-authorized products and a robust pipeline of product candidates across additional therapeutic areas. Certain Pear products have been measured in real world use and their therapeutic content studied in randomized controlled trials, with results published in peer-reviewed medical journals. Pear recently released publications showing the potential for improved real-world health outcomes and decreased treatment costs for patients1-3.
“We applaud Tufts Health Plan and Spectrum Health Systems for establishing the SUD Center of Innovation to provide new ways to support individuals in recovery,” said Julia Strandberg, Chief Commercial Officer at Pear Therapeutics. “For those with SUD, PDTs provide evidence-based treatment through their mobile devices when and where they need it most. Through this important collaboration, we are creating greater access to advance care for members.”
To learn more about Tufts Health Plan substance use disorder support and assistance, click here.
About the combined organization of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
The combination of Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care represents the coming together of two of New England’s most iconic nonprofit health care companies. Representing nearly 90 years of service to our members and the community, together we are building upon our diverse legacies and innovative collaboration by making it our purpose to guide and empower healthier lives for our members – no matter their age, health, race, identity, or income.
We strive to be a different kind of nonprofit health and wellbeing company, with a broad range of health plans, and innovative tools that make navigating health and wellbeing easier, guiding our members at every step of their health care journey to better health outcomes. We are committed to providing high-quality and affordable health care, improving the health and wellness of our members, and creating healthier communities throughout New England.
About Spectrum Health Systems
Based in Worcester, Mass. and founded in 1969, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc. is a private, nonprofit substance use and mental health treatment provider. Spectrum offers the largest and most complete continuum of addiction treatment in New England — including inpatient detoxification, residential rehabilitation, outpatient services, medications for substance use disorder treatment and peer recovery support. Spectrum also offers inpatient detoxification and residential treatment for commercially insured and private pay clients through its subsidiary, The New England Recovery Center.
About Pear Therapeutics
Pear Therapeutics is the leader in prescription digital therapeutics, or PDTs. Pear aims to redefine medicine by discovering, developing, and delivering clinically validated software-based therapeutics to provide better outcomes for patients, smarter engagement and tracking tools for clinicians, and cost-effective solutions for payers. Pear has a pipeline of products and product candidates across therapeutic areas, including the first three PDTs with disease treatment claims from FDA. Pear’s lead product, reSET®, for the treatment of substance use disorder, was the first PDT to receive marketing authorization from FDA to treat disease. Pear’s second product, reSET-O®, for the treatment of opioid use disorder, was the first PDT to receive Breakthrough Designation. Pear’s third product, Somryst®, for the treatment of chronic insomnia, was the first PDT submitted through FDA’s traditional 510(k) pathway while simultaneously reviewed through FDA’s Software Precertification Pilot Program. For more information, visit Pear at www.peartherapeutics.com.
References:
1. Yuri A. Maricich, MD, Xiaorui Xiong, PhD, Robert Gerwien, PhD, Alice Kuo, BA Fulton Velez, MD MBA, Bruce Imbert, MD PhD, Keely Boyer, MBA, Hilary F. Luderer, PhD, Stephen Braun, BA, Karren Williams, PhD (2020): Real-World evidence for a prescription digital therapeutic to treat Opioid Use Disorder, Journal of Current Medical Research and Opinion, DOI:10.1080/03007995.2020.1846023.
2. Fulton F. Velez , Sam Colman , Laura Kauffman , Charles Ruetsch & Kathryn Anastassopoulos (2020): Real-world reduction in healthcare resource utilization following treatment of opioid use disorder with reSET-O, a novel prescription digital therapeutic, Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2021.1840357.
3. Weijia Wang, Nicole Gellings Lowe, Ali Jalali & Sean M. Murphy (2021) Economic modeling of reSET-O, a prescription digital therapeutic for patients with opioid use disorder, Journal of Medical Economics, 24:1, 61-68, DOI: 10.1080/13696998.2020.1858581
