Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115924

Lawrence S. Brown, MD, MPH¹, Steven Kritz, MD¹, John Rotrosen, MD², Jeffrey Goldsmith, MD³, Sherryl Baker⁴, and James Robinson, MEd⁴. (1) Division of Medical Services, Evaluation and Research, Addiction Research and Treatment Corporation, 22 Chapel Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718 260-2915, lbrown@artcny.org, (2) Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine / DVA NYHHS, 17 West, 423 East 23 Street, New York, NY 10010, (3) Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220, (4) Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Old Orangegurg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962

In the US, users of illicit drugs will largely sustain the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections. Substance abuse treatment programs can play a major role in stemming these epidemics. A nationwide CTN study, sponsored by NIDA, examines these three infection groups from the perspective of administrators and clinicians working in substance abuse treatment programs. The NIDA CTN has over 100 Community Treatment Programs (CTPs) with over 300 discreet substance abuse treatment sites in 17 nodes across the US. Three surveys were developed; one each for substance abuse treatment program administrators and clinicians, and one for state health and substance abuse department administrators. These surveys looked at service availability, government mandates, funding, and other key elements involved in evaluating and caring for patients in each of the three infection groups. Completed surveys were obtained from 265 administrators and 1720 clinicians working at substance abuse treatment sites. At the state level completed surveys were returned by administrators from 48 states and the District of Columbia. This will allow examination of associations between the activities at substance abuse treatment programs and the states within which they are located in dealing with the three infection groups. An example of the type of data generated is as follows: 28% of states mandate hepatitis C risk behavior assessment, while 61% of substance abuse treatment program administrators state that their program offers this assessment. This data and other information can then be used to encourage “best practices” in treating these epidemic infections.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will recognize the significance of the relationship between substance abuse treatment programs and the state health and substance abuse departments within which they operate in bringing “best practices” to the treatment of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections.

Keywords: Evidence Based Practice, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.