Addiction & Recovery articles from July 1993

Addiction & Recovery archives from July 1993

The inevitability of outcomes.
July 1, 1993... A hundred thousand Americans lose their health insurance every month. The cost of health care consumes a huge portion of the gross national product and slows down the economy. We attempt to lower behavioral healthcare costs by reducing...

The Sierra Tucson research projects. (on cocaine and alcohol addiction)
July 1, 1993... In its desire to develop the highest quality treatment, the administration of Sierra Tucson has long endorsed a program of Treatment Outcome Research in its addiction and mental health treatment facilities. Since 1985. in fact, Sierra Tucson...

Outcomes and computers: a happy marriage. (outcome management for patients with chemical dependencies)
July 1, 1993... Outcomes management is not just the latest trendy buzzword to be generated by managed care. When conducted well, it yields remarkably important information that can improve clinical efficacy, as well as serve as a remarkable aid in...

Basics of computerizing a treatment center. (includes related article on the history of computers)
July 1, 1993... Computers affect many aspects of our lives. Our cars are controlled by computers, our credit and financial information are determined by computers, and even letters and information are shared almost instantaneously by computerized fax and...

How we came to like computers. (use of computers at a drug treatment center)
July 1, 1993... Computerized treatment. Although to many in the treatment world these two words seem incongruous, they made a lot of sense to me and to my business partner and husband. Will Dennett, when we opened our adult outpatient treatment center in May...

Staying ethical: the NME story. (Richard Kusserow cleans up patient recruitment practices of the psychiatric division of National Medical Enterprises) (Interview)
July 1, 1993... In these economically perilous times, it stands to reason that treatment centers will go to considerable lengths to maintain and improve patient census. Some of these "cures," though, can prove to be more disastrous than the "disease." As the...

Quality care in Hell's Kitchen: National Recovery Institutes offers top quality care in unique urban setting. (drug treatment center in Manhattan)
July 1, 1993... The setting, in Manhattan's infamous Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, is not the idyllic picture usually associated with addiction treatment facilities. Instead of sweeping vistas of rolling fields and tree-lined drives, there is a one-way street...

Performance-based outcome: the new bottom line. (evaluation of medical care) (Column)
July 1, 1993... Accountability! Documentation of effectiveness! Results! Evidence of impact! No matter how you say it, more and more publics are asking for information about the outcomes of treatment services. This is especially true when it comes to alcohol...

Outcome studies: handle with care. (evaluation of medical care) (Column)
July 1, 1993... Actually, I'm a fan of outcome research. Designed well and interpreted wisely, it's a big help. But like any tool, it can be misused. In fact, misleading data has figured in some of the worst decisions in recent medical history. Flawed...