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

Abstract #120980

Constance M. Horgan, ScD and Deborah W. Garnick, ScD. Schneider Institute for Health Policy, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, MS 035, Waltham, MA 02454, 781-736-3916, horgan@brandeis.edu

Performance measurement is a tool that can be used in many ways and at many levels to improve the treatment of addictive disorders. The premise of this paper is that substance abuse performance measures can only lead to improvements in quality of care if the measures are well designed, appropriately used, and applied in a system that is equipped to implement change. Although the concept of performance measurement is well established in the medical sector, the development of performance measures for substance abuse has a more recent history and is now receiving increasingly greater attention. This overview paper discusses three dimensions of substance abuse performance measurement:

. Background: what are appropriate criteria for choosing measures and how does this relate to the purpose of the measures, differentiating among accountability, quality improvement and research goals?

. Measurement challenges: what special issues related to the nature of the substance abuse delivery system, the population served, and the types and availability of data make measurement challenging?

. Barriers: what are the barriers to the adoption and implementation of substance abuse performance measures among the various stakeholders, including purchasers, health plans, provider groups, patients, and researchers?

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to demonstrate knowledge of key issues in selecting performance measures; will will understand the variety of challenges involved in the development of meaningful measures; and will understand how various stakeholders can use performance measures to improve quality of care for persons with addictive disorders.

Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, Performance Measures

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.