The overall goal of the project is to develop a valid, reliable, brief instrument that can be used in primary health care facilities to assess patients' drug problems. Patients may be seeking medical attention for problems related to their unrecognized drug abuse problems; this clinician- administered questionnaire and/or brief interview will be administered by appropriately trained professionals in office-based settings. In Phase I the ISA research team will complete a comprehensive literature review of the topic; construct a draft instrument in consultation with representatives from national health professional organizations; circulate the instrument to an expert panel for review; conduct focus groups with drug abuse researchers, health care professionals, and clinicians; and conduct a pilot test of the instrument at two primary health care facilities. If the approach proves feasible, a larger field trial will be designed for Phase II. Phase I is expected to produce a prototype brief instrument that can be productively used by clinicians in primary health care settings to identify patients with drug abuse and related health problems. If successful through Phase II, this project will help to ensure that patients with drug abuse problems receive the medical attention they need.
