RESEARCH REPORT
Alcoholism treatment and medical care costs from Project MATCH

Authors: Holder, Harold D.¹; Cisler, Ron A.²; Longabaugh, Richard³; Stout, Robert L.⁴; Treno, Andrew J.¹; Zweben, Allen²

Source: Addiction, Volume 95, Number 7, July 2000 , pp. 999-1013(15)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

Aims. This paper examines the costs of medical care prior to and following initiation of alcoholism treatment as part of a study of patient matching to treatment modality. Design Longitudinal study with pre- and post-treatment initiation. Measurements. The total medical care costs for inpatient and outpatient treatment for patients participating over a span of 3 years post-treatment. Setting. Three treatment sites at two of the nine Project MATCH locations (Milwaukee, WI and Providence, RI). Participants. Two hundred and seventy-nine patients. Intervention. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment modalities: a 12-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a four-session motivational enhancement therapy (MET) or a 12-session Twelve-Step facilitation (TSF) treatment over 12 weeks. Findings. Total medical care costs declined from pre- to post-treatment overall and for each modality. Matching effects independent of clinical prognosis showed that MET has potential for medical-care cost-savings. However, patients with poor prognostic characteristics (alcohol dependence, psychiatric severity and/or social network support for drinking) have better cost-savings potential with CBT and/or TSF., Conclusions. Matching variables have significant importance in increasing the potential for medical-care cost-reductions following alcoholism treatment.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2000.9579993.x

Affiliations: 1: Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, CA, 2: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 3: Brown University, Providence, RI 4: Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

Publication date: 2000-07-01