Launching a medication-assisted treatment app to help treat substance-use disorder

Situation

A first-of-its-kind app, created by a serial tech entrepreneur and his physician brother, assists with the important patient-physician engagement, access and compliance for patients with substance-use disorder (SUD) who participate in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs. The app fills a gap for those struggling with SUD, especially those in rural US with no access to a MAT provider (29.8% live in a county without one and only 11% of patients with diagnosed SUD receive a prescription for MAT) (National Library of Medicine).

The early-stage startup founder chose Ballast Group to help build awareness of the technology and to develop relationships with treatment centers and addiction medicine practices as it sought strategic partnerships and downloads to ramp up plans to meet a business objective for investment or to consider M&A efforts. Running for decades, the SUDepidemic is a triple threat to providers, payers and patients requiring better access to MAT. Each faces unique struggles with this national challenge. The app solves their unique problems.

 Complication

A handful of early adopter physicians knew about the company’s solution. With providers as its primary audience, this technology keeps patients more engaged in recovery and physicians compliant with DEA policies in this highly regulated industry. As lawmakers universally called for loosening restrictions around MAT hoping to increase the number of addiction medicine specialists, a stigma remains for those providers prescribing medication-assisted treatment because of controlled- substances audit worries. 

Solution

We developed the startup’s first narrative that garnered attention from telling the story of the unique doctor-patient relationship to healthcare tech reporters through an earned media strategy that reached targeted audiences to generate leads and brand awarenesss:

  • Blended insights from external stakeholder interviews and secondary research to inform the story
  • Spoke to Atadas’ physicians and consultants to identify nationwide trends in medication-assisted treatment for substance-use disorder
  • Prepared third party sources to speak to how the  technology helps patients be more accountable 
  • Researched the media landscape for relevant and influential broadcast and print publications with broad readership to  develop a targeted media list 
  • Developed a list of metrics to demonstrate how the campaigns succeeded

Results 

  • WKRC Cincinnati segment (local ADE $3,200) also aired on Sinclair’s national network and included a print piece with the company’s URL to drive inquiries to Atadas to learn more 
    • The story posted on WKRC YouTube channel (166k subscribers) and garnered 168 views 
    • 167% monthly website traffic increase (overall traffic from search engines, LinkedIn, earned media and direct search increase compared to the previous month)
    • 70% month-over-month (MoM) direct traffic increase (increase in visitors who  directly typed the URL)
    • 333% organic search visits increase (MoM)
    • LinkedIn amplification metrics: 30,533 sponsored impressions, 285 clicks to the site
  • Healthcare IT News Q&A with Atadas’ CEO featured the company’s unique story (ADE $55k)
  • Interview with KFF News and the nation’s premier health news substance abuse reporter now tracking the $50B in settlement funds being dispersed to states nationwide
  • Introductions to strategic partners: Kentucky’s chief medical officer for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and health payers (Centene/WellCare)