Technology-based interventions in substance use treatment to promote health equity among African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinx, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives: a scoping review protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Technology-based interventions (TBIs) (i.e., web-based and mobile interventions) have the potential to promote health equity in substance use disorder treatment (SUTx) for underrepresented groups (i.e., African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinx, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives) by removing barriers and increasing access to culturally relevant, effective treatments. However, technologies (emergent and more long-standing) may have unintended consequences that could perpetuate healthcare disparities among underrepresented groups. Healthcare research, and SUTx research specifically, is infrequently conducted with these groups as a main focus. Therefore, an improved understanding of the literature at the intersection of SUTx, TBIs, and underrepresented groups is warranted to avoid exacerbating inequities and to promote health equity. OBJECTIVE To explore peer-reviewed literature (January 2000-March 2021) that includes underrepresented groups in SUTx research using TBIs. We further seek to explore whether this subset of research is race/ethnicity conscious (i.e., does the research consider underrepresented groups (beyond their inclusion as study participants) in introduction, methods, results, and/or discussion). METHODS Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsychInfo) will be searched to identify SUTx research using TBIs, and studies will be screened for eligibility at the title/abstract and full-text levels. Studies will be included if their sample includes underrepresented groups at 50% or more when combined. RESULTS This project is currently in the data extraction phase with an anticipated completion date of March 2022. CONCLUSIONS Research is needed to increase our understanding of the range and nature of TBIs being used in SUTx research studies with underrepresented groups. The planned scoping review will highlight research at this intersection to promote health equity.