Methods

1. Patient and Staff Satisfaction in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Programs A. Kulaga1, B. McClure1, J. Rotrosen1, P. Crits-Christoph2, S. Ring-Kurtz2, C. Temes2, R. Forman31New York University School of Medicine, 2University of Pennsylvania, 3Alkermes, Inc. Background Clinician Demographics (N = 127*) Patient Demographics (N = 4122*) Patient Treatment Satisfaction (N = 4108*) Clinician Job Satisfaction (N = 121*) Patient and staff turnover are significant therapeutic and management concerns in substance abuse treatment programs. Some literature suggests a positive correlation between patient and staff satisfaction and successful outcomes, while other studies are inconclusive. The Patient Feedback Study, initiated in 2006, is a randomized, effectiveness trial, implementing a quality improvement (QI) system at 20 outpatient, substance abuse treatment programs in New York and Pennsylvania. Methods • 20 sites randomized to immediate or delayed feedback condition, in two waves • Patients’ baseline assessments self-reported on surveys capturing ratings of treatment satisfaction • Clinicians’ baseline data captured via demographic forms and four self-report surveys assessing job satisfaction • Patients complete anonymous weekly surveys for 12 weeks, reporting on therapeutic alliance and treatment satisfaction in drug counseling group sessions, and on past week abstinence from drugs and alcohol • Clinicians access real-time feedback reports and can identify areas of - and for - improvement • Initial analyses represent partial baseline descriptive data from both waves through April 1, 2008 Conclusions • Preliminary analysis reveals very high treatment satisfaction across patients of all ethnicities and various treatment durations, including patients in treatment for less than one month. • Approximately 50% of clinicians earned their Master’s degree and are currently certified or licensed. Advanced clinician education and training may have a positive impact on patient treatment satisfaction and therapeutic alliance. • High job satisfaction is evident among clinicians, with those employed for over 5 years at their current jobs and those with over 5 years experience in addictions counseling having the highest satisfaction ratings. • Overall, clinicians and supervisors report excellent working relationships. • High clinician and supervisor job satisfaction may promote high patient satisfaction ratings, which in turn may have a significant impact on patient retention. • The findings for high patient satisfaction suggest that the current substance abuse treatment delivery system is generally well received by consumers of that system. 1MSQ- Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire 2LMX- Leader-Member Exchange Acknowledgments: NIDA CTN supported and developed the original Patient Feedback pilot feasibility study The Patient Feedback Study is supported by NIDA grants R01 DA020809 (NYU) and R01 DA020799 (U of P) Principal Investigators: Paul Crits-Christoph, PhD & John Rotrosen, MD *Item response N’s vary due to variance in item by item survey completion.