Did You Know Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Detection Is a More Effective Monitoring Method?

Benefits of Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Detection

Mobile technology has enhanced productivity worldwide, allowing people to get more done at faster rates. The increase in productivity has influenced a new era of innovation in wearable technology. Notable consumer “wearables” include fitness trackers, smart watches and wristbands, Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hearing aids. Biosensors are utilized to monitor patient health, rapidly assist with disease diagnosis, help predict and often improve patient outcomes, and much more.¹

How Do Biosensors Work?

A biosensor is a set of biological components that are connected to a transducer to convert and measure physiological signals, such as enzymes, heart rate, alcohol consumption, proteins, antibody, electrical impedance, oxygen level, core temperature, etc.² While relatively new to the consumer market, biosensor technology was first introduced to the corrections industry in the early 2000s as a means to detect alcohol consumption in individuals on community supervision.

In 2009, BI introduced the first continuous transdermal alcohol detection device that measures alcohol every five minutes. Today, agencies use Electronic Monitoring (EM) devices to measure alcohol in two ways, through breath or continuous transdermal detection devices. The latter measures and detects transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) through a noninvasive alcohol sensor worn on an individual’s ankle.

Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Detection Benefits

Continuous transdermal detection is a more effective method of monitoring drinking than many of the other techniques and technologies (e.g., self-report, patches, or urinalysis).³ These devices create opportunities for agencies, officers, courts, and treatment professionals to measure compliance, offer positive reinforcement, and potentially rehabilitate clients.

Key benefits include:

• Increases accountability
• Provides accurate and reliable data
• Eliminates testing gaps
• Court admissible
• Reduces the need for in-person testing
• 24/7 monitoring

Learn more about BI TAD^®.

¹https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/16/5589/htm
²https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S2352648318300011
³https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34672885/