rehab.ai

Research at Rehab.ai

Finding care should be straightforward.

People seeking addiction treatment or mental health care should know who they are contacting, how advertising relationships influence recommendations, and what to consider when comparing providers.

This study is an open examination of how people find care, how providers allocate resources, and how those decisions may influence treatment outcomes.

Finding care, funding care, and treatment outcomesThree connected areas of inquiry. These relationships are questions for research, not established findings.010203Finding careFunding careTreatment outcomes
Three connected questions. One study.

The need for care

48.4 million

People with a substance use disorder

U.S. people aged 12 or older who had a substance use disorder in 2024, approximately one in six. [1]

79,384

Lives lost to drug overdose

U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024. The age-adjusted death rate declined 26.2% from 2023. [2]

Why this research matters

Finding care and funding care are closely connected. The ways providers reach people influence both the treatment people find and the resources available to deliver care.

Studying that relationship can help the industry understand how informed choice, sustainable business practices, and better treatment outcomes can support one another.

What the study will examine

Finding care
How advertising and referral relationships influence provider choice.
Funding care
What providers spend to reach patients and how those costs affect resources available for treatment.
Treatment outcomes
Whether directing more of those resources toward care could improve outcomes.

The research aims to inform a practical blueprint for a system that works better for everyone.

Explore the study

Shaping the research together

Patients bring experience of searching for care. Treatment providers bring insight into the costs of reaching people and delivering treatment. Lead generators bring knowledge of how referrals work.

Together, those perspectives can help identify where the system works, where incentives conflict, and how the industry can better align with the goals of treatment.

An invitation to participate

Share an experience, contribute expertise, or challenge an assumption. The research needs perspectives from across the industry, especially from those who see things differently.

Agreement on every issue is not required. A shared interest in improving care is the starting point.

Express interest

Sources and context
  1. SAMHSA. (2025, July 28). 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. An estimated 48.4 million people (16.8%) aged 12 or older had a past-year substance use disorder. The survey covers the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population.
  2. Garnett, M. F., & Miniño, A. M. (2026). Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 2023–2024. NCHS Data Brief, 549. Final 2024 mortality data. Counts cover drug overdoses, not all deaths related to substance use.

These figures describe the scale of need in the United States. They are not findings from this study.

Rehab.ai funds the study and operates a care directory without advertising. Learn more about Rehab.ai.