Patient assessment and treatment planning are critical elements in contemporary addiction treatment. This technology-transfer project seeks to study and enhance these processes in standard community treatment programs - thereby improving patient retention and outcomes. There are two parts to the technology transfer: a computer-assisted ASI assessment to improve the identification and prioritization of patients' problems; and the Computer-Assisted System for Patient Assessment and Referrals (CASPAR) which provides a comprehensive listing of all free or low-cost health and social services (e.g. legal counsel, housing and job training) available in the community. This project builds upon an earlier, 2-year NIDA-funded randomized trial of this computer-assisted patient assessment and care planning process. That study showed that counselors readily learned to use these aides and that they produced significantly better treatment care plans and provided significantly better services-to-needs matching to their patients. This proposal replicates and extends that study to test the contribution of the CASPAR system over the computer-assisted ASI assessment alone in achieving improved care planning, better patient retention, increased services received over a longer time period, and better 6-month outcomes. In Phase I, 12 randomly selected, abstinence-oriented outpatient substance abuse treatment programs, and 40 counselors will be trained in the ASI assessment software. Research Staff will recruit five patients from each counselor's caseload (total of 200 subjects) and independent research technicians will check the quality and 'match' of the treatment plans; perform TSR interviews measuring the nature and amounts of services received at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks; and complete six-month ASI follow-ups, including urine and Breathalyzer testing. In Phase II, the programs will be randomly assigned to receive either a 3-hour ASI """"""""booster"""""""" training (SA Group - 5 programs, 20 counselors), or a 3-hour training in the Resource Guide software and problem-services matching (EA Group - 5 programs, 20 counselors). Research staff will again recruit five patients per counselor (200 per group) and they will be followed as in Phase I. If successful, this low-cost, user-friendly technology enhancement could be an important addition to the meager clinical tools currently available to drug counselors.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA015125-03
Application #
7084668
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Hilton, Thomas
Project Start
2004-08-01
Project End
2009-07-31
Budget Start
2006-08-01
Budget End
2007-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$384,382
Indirect Cost
Name
Treatment Research Institute, Inc. (TRI)
Department
Type
DUNS #
798390928
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19106
Mericle, Amy A; Casaletto, Kathryn; Knoblach, Dan et al. (2010) Barriers to Implementing Individualized Substance Abuse Treatment: Qualitative Findings from the CASPAR Replication Studies. J Drug Issues 40:819-839
McKay, James R; Carise, Deni; Dennis, Michael L et al. (2009) Extending the benefits of addiction treatment: practical strategies for continuing care and recovery. J Subst Abuse Treat 36:127-30
Carise, Deni; Love, Meghan; Zur, Julia et al. (2009) Results of a statewide evaluation of ""paperwork burden"" in addiction treatment. J Subst Abuse Treat 37:101-9
Carise, Deni; Brooks, Adam; Alterman, Arthur et al. (2009) Implementing evidence-based practices in community treatment programs: initial feasibility of a counselor ""toolkit"". Subst Abus 30:239-43
McKay, James R; Carise, Deni (2009) State of the science: Extending the benefits of addiction treatment. J Subst Abuse Treat 36:172-3
McLellan, A Thomas; Kemp, Jack; Brooks, Adam et al. (2008) Improving public addiction treatment through performance contracting: the Delaware experiment. Health Policy 87:296-308
Cacciola, John S; Camilleri, Amy C; Carise, Deni et al. (2008) Extending residential care through telephone counseling: initial results from the Betty Ford Center Focused Continuing Care protocol. Addict Behav 33:1208-16
Carise, Deni; Dugosh, Karen Leggett; McLellan, A Thomas et al. (2007) Prescription OxyContin abuse among patients entering addiction treatment. Am J Psychiatry 164:1750-6
Carise, Deni; Gurel, Ozge; McLellan, A Thomas et al. (2005) Getting patients the services they need using a computer-assisted system for patient assessment and referral--CASPAR. Drug Alcohol Depend 80:177-89