Policies and Behaviors Driving Adoption of Health IT in Substance Abuse Treatment - The Evidence to Date

The behavioral health community has made numerous efforts to increase its access to health information technology and its adoption of emerging technologies. The community’s strategies for obtaining capital to support adoption have been incentive programs and grant funding. Results of this funding effort have been uneven, with monies directed to practices based on subjective criteria, and with practices lacking the resources to successfully implement emerging technologies.. This presentation is targeted to public health professionals involved in providing treatment through substance abuse facilities, and the broader substance abuse treatment community, many of whom are attempting to implement technologies in support of the behavioral health community and are working to advance applications of technology to solving critical behavioral health challenges 

Our team will explore specific aspects of the substance abuse landscape and how the policy and fiscal environment has established barriers to the adoption and meaningful use of technology in behavioral health practice. To understand these barriers, we will use a case study of a substance abuse facility that is ongoing, explore research to date on the transition to use of health information technology, and highlight the overall results of adoption efforts nationwide.

Lastly, we will draw on Deloitte’s research in behavioral health issues to highlight how substance abuse facilities have developed innovative programs to implement various aspects of health IT, and their progress to date.