Title
On-site provision of substance abuse treatment services at community health centers
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Center for Health Policy and Research
Date
6-2012
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
Disciplines
Health Services Administration | Health Services Research | Public Health
Abstract
We examined on-site and off-site referral-based provision of substance abuse (SA) treatment services among a sample of community health centers (CHCs). Analyses used survey data collected from CHCs in three states merged with administrative claims to both characterize CHC care delivery models and examine the association between models and care quality. Care quality was based on the Washington Circle measures of initiation and engagement. Approximately half the sample provided at least some SA treatment services on site. The provision of intensive outpatient treatment services on site was associated with significantly higher engagement rates. It was also associated with higher (but not significantly) initiation rates. At the same time, on-site provision of screening and counseling services was negatively associated with both initiation and engagement rates. Given limited resources, investing in more intensive services on site may yield better outcomes for CHC patients than lower level services, but further study is recommended.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: J Subst Abuse Treat. 2012 Jun;42(4):339-45. Epub 2011 Nov 23. Link to article on publisher's site