Making "Stone Soup": Improvements in Clinic Access and Retention in Addiction Treatment

Authors: Capoccia, Victor A.; Cotter, Frances; Gustafson, David H.; Cassidy, Elaine F.; Ford, James H.; Madden, Lynn; Owens, Betta H.; Farnum, Scott O.; McCarty, Dennis; Molfenter, Todd

Source: Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, Volume 33, Number 2, February 2007 , pp. 95-103(9)

Publisher: Joint Commission Resources

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Abstract:

Background: The Network for Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) provides 39 treatment organizations with collaborative learning opportunities and technical support to reduce waiting time between the first request for service and the first treatment session, reduce the number of patients who do not keep an appointment (no-shows), increase the number of people admitted to treatment, and increase continuation from the first through the fourth treatment session.

Acadia's Story-Treatment on Demand: Given capacity constraints, only 25% of the clients scheduled for outpatient care at Acadia Hospital (Bangor, Maine) showed up for their assessment appointments, and only 19% made it into treatment. A variety of changes were introduced, including increasing staff availability to provide clients with assessments immediately on arrival (at 7:30 A.M.), establishing a clinician pool to handle client over-flow, and allowing for same-day admission to intensive outpatient or chemical dependency services. These process improvements reduced the time from first contact to the first treatment session from 4.1 to 1.3 days (68%), reduced client no-shows, and increased continuation in treatment and transfers across levels of care.

Discussion: The successes experienced by organizations in the NIATx initiative should be useful for implementing change in other fields of service delivery.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2007-02-01

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Published monthly, The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to providing health professionals with the information they need to promote the quality and safety of health care. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety invites original manuscripts on the development, adaptation, and/or implementation of innovative thinking, strategies, and practices in improving quality and safety in health care. Case studies, program or project reports, reports of new methodologies or new applications of methodologies, research studies on the effectiveness of improvement interventions, and commentaries on issues and practices are all considered.

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Making "Stone Soup": Improvements in Clinic Access and Retention in Addiction Treatment

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