HANDBOOK ON EVALUATION OF TREATMENT ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENT PATIENTS - THE PILOT ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT (PADAT) PROJECT, 1975-1976

• NCJ Number: 54523
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 39 pages
• Corporate Author: Veterans Admin
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EVALUATION PLAN IS PRESENTED FOR A VETERANS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATING DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENT PATIENTS IN THE SAME PROGRAM.

Abstract

TRADITIONALLY, PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY ALCOHOL ABUSE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN TREATED IN SETTINGS SEPARATE FROM THOSE WITH PATIENTS HAVING PRIMARY DRUG ABUSE PROBLEMS. THIS PROGRAM CONSIDERS THAT BECAUSE CAUSAL DYNAMICS ARE SIMILAR FOR BOTH ALCOHOL AND GENERAL DRUG DEPENDENCE, TREATMENT IN THE SAME SETTING COULD BE EFFECTIVE. IN THE EVALUATION PLAN, THE OUTCOME OF TREATMENT IN COMBINED SETTINGS WILL BE COMPARED WITH THE OUTCOME OF TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS TREATED IN SINGLE SETTINGS. EFFECTIVENESS IS DEFINED IN TERMS OF PATIENT PROGRESS TOWARD THE EIGHT REVISED TREATMENT GOALS ACCEPTED FOR USE IN TREATING BOTH ALCOHOL AND DRUG DEPENDENT PATIENTS IN THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION. THESE GOALS ARE STATED IN AN APPENDIX. TEN DRUG DEPENDENCE TREATMENT CENTERS ARE PARTICIPATING AS COMBINED TREATMENT PROGRAMS, AND THE COMPARISON GROUPS ARE SELECTED VETERAN ADMINISTRATION ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT UNITS WHICH WILL TREAT ONLY ALCOHOLIC PATIENTS AND DRUG DEPENDENT TREATMENT CENTERS WHICH WILL TREAT ONLY DRUG ABUSE PATIENTS. STAFF WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE DATA ON EACH PATIENT AT THE TIME OF ADMISSION. A SAMPLE OF THESE PATIENTS WILL BE INTERVIEWED AGAIN 6 MONTHS AFTER ADMISSION, TO DETERMINE PROGRESS TOWARD THE EIGHT TREATMENT OBJECTIVES. THIS GROUP WILL CONSIST OF THOSE PATIENTS WHO REMAINED IN INPATIENT TREATMENT APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS OR GRADUATED FROM AN INPATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAM. PATIENTS DROPPING OUT OF TREATMENT PREMATURELY WILL BE INTERVIEWED TO DETERMINE REASONS FOR LEAVING. FORMS WILL BE PROVIDED TO ENABLE STAFF TO RECORD THE NEEDED INFORMATION IN A STANDARDIZED MANNER. EVALUATION GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED BY PROGRAM STAFF ARE DESCRIBED, ALONG WITH GENERAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND EVALUATION FORM USAGE DESCRIBED AND ILLUSTRATED. HOSPITALS PARTICIPATING, TREATMENT GOALS, A NOTE CONCERNING FOLLOWUP PROCEDURES WITH ALCOHOLICS, AND A FOLLOWUP LETTER PROTOTYPE ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIXES. (RCB)