“The assessment really helps you with the first step in recovery.” What do clients think substance use disorder treatment intake assessments should look like?

Abstract

Background: In general, research has found that patient-centered substance use disorder treatment is positively correlated with improved patient outcomes. However, little research has examined what factors make intake assessments—the first step in addiction treatment—patient-centered. Methods: We conducted interviews with 30 Medicaid-enrolled individuals who received addiction treatment in California about their experiences with the intake assessment process. Results: Participants reported that the intake assessment process evoked strong feelings, both positive and negative. Some participants said that answering detailed questions about their substance use, mental health, and social relationships, for example, was cathartic and gave them helpful insights. Other participants found the questions invasive, exhausting, and anxiety provoking. Participants also emphasized how critical it is for the person conducting the assessment to be supportive, nonjudgmental, and attentive. Participants recommended delaying the comprehensive assessment because they did not feel physically or emotionally ready to complete the intake. Conclusions and recommendations: Patients’ introduction to addiction treatment is typically the intake assessment. By understanding how patients experience intake assessments, providers can make the process more patient-centered, which may lead to improved patient outcomes.

Keywords:

• Substance use disorder
• patient-centered assessment
• intake assessment
• medicaid
• substance use disorder treatment

Disclosure statement

None of the authors report a conflict of interest. The results and conclusions presented in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute^® (PCORI^®), its Board of Governors, or Methodology Committee.

Author contributions

Drs. Mark and Padwa are co-PIs on the overall study and developed the research concept and design. Drs. Treiman and Padwa co-led the client interview data collection and analysis, with analytic support from J. Tzeng and M. Gilbert. All authors were involved in interpretation of findings. Dr. Treiman led development of the manuscript with substantial conceptual and writing contributions from Drs. Mark and Padwa. J. Tzeng also contributed to writing the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript

Data availability statement

Study data are not publicly available because personal health information is included.

Additional information

Funding

The research reported in this study was funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute^® (PCORI^®) Award (IHS-2017C1-6371). PCORI was not involved in preparation of this manuscript.