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Wearable-based physical activity and sleep monitoring in substance use disorder treatment settings is feasible but requires structural and procedural safeguards to manage high wearable loss rates.

In a longitudinal study across 8 SUD treatment and recovery service sites in Western Australia, 13 out of 63 wearables (20.6%) were permanently lost, compared to approximately 1% in general population studies. Loss occurred almost exclusively in residential care settings and coincided with participant exit from treatment, with no losses due to technical malfunction or deliberate non-compliance.

Last updated: Aug 22, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score32/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Feasibility of Using Wearables to Monitor Physical Activity and Sleep During Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Insights From a Longitudinal Study.

observational

Thal S, Pang B, McVeigh J, Richardson C, Myers B · Substance use & addiction journal (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: Longitudinal (ongoing study, duration not specified in abstract)
Intervention: Deployment of SENS Motion wearables to monitor physical activity and sleep during substance use disorder treatment
Outcome: Feasibility outcomes including wearable loss rate, and qualitative analysis of challenges and mitigation strategies
Effect Size: N/A
Population: 63 participants across 8 substance use disorder treatment and recovery service sites in Western Australia (residential, continued-care, and community-based services)

Result:

PubMed: 42606155DOI: 10.1177/29767342261476441

Mechanism Graph

Wearables were deployed to participants in SUD treatment settings.
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Wearable loss was tracked as a key feasibility outcome.
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Advisory group (lived experience, stakeholders, researchers) contextualized challenges via qualitative content analysis.
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High loss rates (20.6%) were identified, primarily in residential settings during treatment transitions.
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Recommendations include integrating wearable retrieval into discharge workflows and clarifying responsibility between research teams and service partners.

Limitations

  • ⚠Single study with a relatively small sample size (63 participants) and specific geographic region (Western Australia), limiting generalizability.
  • ⚠Wearable loss was the primary feasibility outcome; other feasibility aspects (e.g., data completeness, user acceptance) were not quantitatively assessed.
  • ⚠Qualitative analysis relied on advisory group perspectives, which may not fully represent all participant experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the wearable loss rate in this study?▼

13 out of 63 wearables (20.6%) were permanently lost, compared to approximately 1% in general population studies.

Where did wearable loss most commonly occur?▼

Loss occurred almost exclusively in residential care settings, with rates ranging from 14.3% to 42.9% across facilities, and coincided with participant exit from treatment.

Were any wearable losses due to technical malfunction or deliberate non-compliance?▼

No, no losses were attributable to technical malfunction or deliberate non-compliance.

What recommendations were made to improve feasibility?▼

Recommendations include integrating wearable retrieval into discharge workflows and clarifying responsibility between research teams and service partners to anticipate high rates of unplanned treatment discontinuation.

Products

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References

  1. 1.Thal S, Pang B, McVeigh J, Richardson C, Myers B. "Feasibility of Using Wearables to Monitor Physical Activity and Sleep During Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Insights From a Longitudinal Study.." Substance use & addiction journal, 2026. PMID: 42606155 DOI: 10.1177/29767342261476441
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.