162582 Improving processes in state treatment systems

Monday, November 5, 2007: 11:30 AM

Dennis McCarty, PhD , Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
David Gustafson, PhD , Center for Health Systems Research and Analysis (CHSRA), University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
Victor Capoccia, PhD , NIATx, University of Wisconsin, Watertown, MA
Fran Cotter, MPH , Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Rockville, MD
Paul Roman, PhD , Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
        
The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) is a learning collaborative teaching alcohol and drug treatment centers to apply process improvement techniques in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Five principles guide system change: 1) understand the customer, 2) work on important issues, 3) pick a powerful change leader, 4) get outside ideas, and 5) use rapid cycles to test and refine changes. During the first 18 months, 23 NIATx participants reduced days to admission 39% and improved retention in care 18%. NIATx is promoting changes in state contracting and regulations and energizing attention to treatment improvement. NIATx has become a family of related projects. STAR-SI (Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention-State Initiative) is a CSAT sponsored project to encourage process improvement in 12 states. NIATx 200 is working with 200 treatment programs in four states to test five levels of NIATx support and determine the most effective and cost-effective strategies for promoting adoption of process improvement. Advancing Recovery uses NIATx approaches to support the adoption of evidence-based practices. Together these projects are promoting improvement in systems of care. Awards from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (46876, 50165, 57786), the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SC-05-110), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01 DA018282, R01 DA020832) support this work.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the principles of process improvement 2. Understand the application of process improvement to treatment for alcohol and drug disorders 3. Apply NIATx strategies to state and provider systems of care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Public Health Systems Research: Applications to Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
See more of: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs