SoberComm: Using Mobile Phones to Facilitate Inter-Family Communication with Alcohol-Dependent Patients

This paper reports on the development of a mobile support system (called SoberComm) aimed at facilitating the sharing of alcohol-use data between patients and their family members, while providing treatment teams with the data necessary to make constructive suggestions concerning inter-family communications. We began by conducting a pilot study to identify salient themes, which could be used to guide the overall design of the system. We then conducted an iterative development process involving the prototyping and evaluation of user interfaces using medium-fidelity wireframes. The final high-fidelity design was used in the practical implementation of SoberComm in a two-week field study involving nine dyads of alcohol dependent patients and their family members. Results demonstrate that SoberComm makes it easier for patients to refuse alcohol and deal with many of the issues underlying the difficulties they face. Responses collected via qualitative interviews also provided qualitative evidence that the proposed system can enhance problem-solving skills and facilitate communication between alcohol-dependent patients and their family members.