Establishing the feasibility of measuring performance in use of addiction pharmacotherapy

Abstract This paper presents the rationale and feasibility of standardized performance measures for use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD), an evidence-based practice and critical component of treatment that is often underused. These measures have been developed and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of substance abuse treatment 2013-07, Vol.45 (1), p.11-18
Main Authors: Thomas, Cindy Parks, Ph.D, Garnick, Deborah W., Sc.D, Horgan, Constance M., Sc.D, Miller, Kay, B.S, Harris, Alex H.S., Ph.D, Rosen, Melissa M., M.P.H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addiction medication
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Alcoholism - drug therapy
Biological and medical sciences
Databases, Factual
Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal
Drug addiction
Drug Approval
Evidence-Based Practice
Feasibility
Feasibility Studies
Female
Health
Humans
Male
Medicaid
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Miscellaneous
Opioid-Related Disorders - drug therapy
Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
Performance measurement
Pharmacology
Pharmacotherapy
Pilot Projects
Prescription drugs
Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Substance abuse
Substance abuse disorders
Substance abuse treatment
Substance-Related Disorders - drug therapy
Treatment
Treatments
United States
United States Food and Drug Administration
Veterans
Veterans health
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract This paper presents the rationale and feasibility of standardized performance measures for use of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD), an evidence-based practice and critical component of treatment that is often underused. These measures have been developed and specified by the Washington Circle, to measure treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence with FDA-approved prescription medications for use in office-based general health and addiction specialty care. Measures were pilot tested in private health plans, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and Medicaid. Testing revealed that use of standardized measures using administrative data for overall use and initiation of SUD pharmacotherapy is feasible and practical. Prevalence of diagnoses and use of pharmacotherapy vary widely across health systems. Pharmacotherapy is generally used in a limited portion of those for whom it might be indicated. An important methodological point is that results are sensitive to specifications, so that standardization is critical to measuring performance across systems.
ISSN:0740-5472
1873-6483
DOI:10.1016/j.jsat.2013.01.004