Between-visit support chatbot for people on MOUD

What it does

In a single-group study at Massachusetts General Hospital (sponsor Dimagi, with NIDA, UCLA, and MGH), 55 adults receiving medication for opioid use disorder used a mobile chatbot for 12 weeks to prepare for clinical appointments, find community resources, learn urge-surfing and wellness techniques, and get help with other recovery tasks.

Where the privacy line sits

This is a research study, not a product you can buy. ClinicalTrials.gov lists it as completed in July 2026 with no results posted, so there is no published evidence yet that it lowers drug use or improves appointment attendance. Anything like it touches PHI and, in a federally assisted SUD program, Part 2 records, so it needs a BAA and counsel's review of consent. A chatbot that talks with people in recovery must hand crisis statements to a person right away, and some states restrict AI that talks with clients about their care.

• PHI: BAA required. Touches protected health information. Needs a Business Associate Agreement if HIPAA applies.
• 42 CFR Part 2. May touch substance use disorder records covered by Part 2. Get counsel's review of consent and redisclosure.
• Crisis handoff required. Must route crisis statements to a human immediately (911 for emergencies, 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline).
• State AI law. Some states restrict AI in therapy (for example, Illinois). Check every state you serve.

What stays human

Clinical care and medication decisions, crisis response, relapse conversations, and the relationship with the care team.

Example tools

• Suzy conversational agent (Dimagi study NCT06845878)

Listed because the vendor publicly describes this capability (source checked 2026-10-19). Not tested by us and not an endorsement. Ask every question in our vendor evaluation guide before you buy.

Not legal advice. Have a healthcare attorney review your setup before any patient or resident information goes into a tool.