Kvalitetsindikatorer innen rusbehandling - et litteratursøk etter resultatindikatorer

Abstract

Being a medical student working part time in an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility, experience is that both patients and therapists seem unsatisfied with frequently changing programs with questionable foundation and low outcome predictability. Measuring treatment outcome of patients could be a tool to improve therapeutic methods and create documentation for rational choice of treatment. Provided the measurement tool is not dependant of treatment method or type of substance being abused, it could also contribute to comparison of different therapies. This student project aim to find assessment tools, measurement systems and variables that can be used to evaluate patient outcome of substance abuse therapy regardless of substance type being used. A search is performed in PsycINFO, EMBASE, PubMed and Guidelines International Network. Information is also retrieved from teaching supervisor and via The Department of Health. Eight assessment tools plus their offspring and six variables related to substance abuse are found and mentioned. Some assessment tools are general, others are intended for specific types of substance abuse. Only one measurement system has limitations with respect to treatment method being evaluated, and that concerns group therapy as opposed to individual therapy that is more commonly measured. The focus of the project has been to find outcome measures at patient level to be able to appraise treatment given, although evaluating the according treatment process is also of importance for the outcome. Nevertheless: assessment tools found here could make a contribution in a potential project where outcome measures of treatment are to be established, with emphasis on the most frequently used indicators that are deducted here. Tools for more frequent measurement and monitoring in an outpatient setting is also sugested.