This story was originally posted on the Bucks County Herald
Technology is proving to save many lives in Bucks County by expediting and catching relapse occurrences, before they happen. This is all due to new ERPHealth technology.
Overdoses are the No. 1 cause of accidental death in the country. According to the CDC, there were over 107,000 fatal overdoses in the US last year. That’s the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a single year. Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, psychostimulants such as methamphetamine, and cocaine all increased between 2020 and 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this tragedy has gotten worse. In some communities, including in Connecticut, overdose-related emergency calls are up as much as 40% and 42 states reported increases in overdose deaths during the pandemic.
Bucks County mental health therapist Sonia Horwitz, who has offices in Southampton and Newtown, has seen a drastic drop in her overdose and relapse cases, in addition to much faster recovery among her patients. She has been using ERPHealth technology for nearly two years and says she has seen dramatic improvements.
“ERPHealth allows my patients to stay engaged and connected to their treatment process in between sessions which helps keep them motivated,” said Horwitz. “The technology helps me track what techniques are working and where treatment needs to shift to meet patients’ individual needs,” she said.
With the ability to monitor her patients’ daily mindset and activities via the streamlined technology, Horwitz can catch when a client may be on the verge of relapse. “ERPHealth helps me identify patterns in patients’ reactions to life events which enhances their ability for self-awareness and insight as well as relapse prevention,” explained Horwitz.
The mission at ERPHealth is to align the interest of all behavioral health care stakeholders by improving, outcomes, health equity and value. ERPHealth puts a patient in the driver’s seat of their treatment journey, empowering patients to better self-assess and modify their behaviors.
