An acceptability and feasibility study of the We Can Do This web-app in Australian primary care and residential rehabilitation settings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use methamphetamine (Preprint)

BACKGROUND We Can Do This was a web-based application (web-app) developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are seeking to reduce or stop methamphetamine use. OBJECTIVE This paper reports on a process evaluation of the web-app’s acceptability and feasibility when used by clients and clinicians in residential rehabilitation services and primary care. METHODS Clinicians and clients who had used the web-app were recruited via Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and Aboriginal residential rehabilitation services in urban and regional Victoria and South Australia. Non-identified usage data was collected from all participants. After using the web-app, those who indicated a willingness to be interviewed were contacted and interviewed by phone or in person and asked about the feasibility and acceptability of the web-app. RESULTS Interviews with ten clients and eleven clinicians highlighted that both clients and clinicians found the content coherent, relatable, empowering and culturally safe. Barriers to using the web-app for clients included a lack of internet connectivity and personal issues such as scheduling. CONCLUSIONS Process evaluation is often under-valued. However, as We Can Do This was new, innovative and targeted a hard-to-reach population, understanding its feasibility and acceptability as a clinical tool was essential to understanding its potential. We Can Do This is unique as the only evidence-based, culturally appropriate online therapeutic program specifically designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who use methamphetamine. Findings suggest it was both acceptable and feasible as a low-cost adjunct to usual care in residential rehabilitation and primary care settings.