4307.0: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - 8:30 PM

Abstract #15500

Effectiveness of workplace substance abuse prevention strategies on managed care for a manufacturing company

David L. Blank, PhD, J. Michael Walsh, PhD, and Leo Cangianelli. The Walsh Group, 6701 Democracy Blvd, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20817, 301-571-9494, dblank@walshgroup.org

The Walsh Group has developed a strategic partnership with a manufacturing company to assess the effects of workplace-applied substance abuse prevention and early intervention strategies and programs on managed care and to determine whether they reduce or prevent substance abuse among employees. The company specializes in manufacturing engineered products and employs approximately 1500 people in nine manufacturing sites located in seven states across the country. Intensive drug testing and drug abuse prevention education have been the two elements of workplace drug prevention applied to the group in this study. Human resource, health care utilization and accident data have been collected for two years prior to these interventions and for one year during which these interventions were applied. Survey data was collected by repeated measures before and after the interventions.

This presentation will focus primarily on comparisons between data collected in surveys administered immediately before and one year following our interventions for our education/prevention, drug testing and control groups. Data will be presented on changes in employee knowledge of substance abuse and employee assistance program policy, use or abuse of alcohol and drugs, utilization of health and prevention resources, attitudes towards drug and alcohol use, their perceptions of physical or psychological risks of ingestion, and changes in lifestyle made as a result of health information obtained during the one year experimental period.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: (1)understand the critical issues in creating a substance abuse prevention program in a workplace setting; (2) become aware of the changes that such a program can effect among employees, and, (3) be able to begin developing a plan for substance abuse prevention in their own workplace environment

Keywords: Substance Abuse Prevention, Managed Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA