The Challenge Presented by the Need for Accurate Outcome Data

Outcome data is quickly becoming a necessity in the chemical dependency treatment industry, but the very nature of the business makes collecting the data itself a challenge. MAP Health Management has been actively collecting data on thousands of clients from multiple centers across the United States since 2011. Here are some of the challenges we have discovered, and how we have addressed them.

Actually being able to stay in contact with the clients

Addicts and alcoholics in early recovery are notoriously difficult to keep track of. They leave treatment and go to sober living, then a couple of months later they move out of sober living and either get their own place to live or head back home. Their phone numbers change – a lot. All of this means that collecting accurate, meaningful outcome data on people in early recovery can be challenging.

MAP Recovery Support realized that the only way to stay in touch with the addict was to include their family and other points of contact into the data collection model. That way, even if the addict moves or changes his phone number, MAP has other contacts to call, so that new contact information can be obtained. In addition, maintaining contact with the family has allowed MAP to verify some of the data provided by the addict. The addict may not always be honest with their Recovery Support Specialist, but their family usually knows the truth and is willing to share it.

By maintaining regular contact with each client, MAP is able to collect a wealth of data as they progress through their recovery. The first six to twelve months out of treatment are full of changes and challenges for the addict and their family, and collecting data through quarterly phone interviews can miss so much of what is happening. If a client experiences a relapse one week after a quarterly follow-up call, not only will you not get that information for 90 days, you may not get it at all. Without the support and intervention of a Peer Recovery Support Specialist who is in regular contact with the addict, the chances are very good that he will be in full-blown relapse 90 days later. It’s the relationship between the client and their Peer Recovery Support Specialist that keeps them engaged with the MAP program, even when they experience a relapse.

Scientific data collection

Even if you manage to keep the clients engaged, quarterly calls will not provide the kind of in-depth data that payers and potential clients are looking for. 100-200 data points collected over an entire year will not provide enough materials for a clear and concise analysis. Then there is the problem of the data collection itself.

Data collection can be difficult, especially in the area of addiction and recovery where so much of the information is subjective in nature. There need to be systems in place to verify that the data being entered is accurate and correct. MAP solves this problem by verifying the information provided by the addict through contact with family members and other individuals in the addict’s life. With more and more at stake financially, the potential for fraud is too great. Even just a few instances of forged outcome data have the potential to make everything the industry collects suspect. If the industry is not careful it will end up with an expensive set of marketing materials and nothing more. For the data to be seen as accurate and valid it really should be collected and verified by a third party with no stake in the outcomes the data shows.

Data in a Vacuum

There have been short-term outcome studies done on addiction and treatment for years. These studies are conducted in a vacuum and as often as not the results end up in a drawer somewhere not doing anyone any real good. In order for the outcome data being collected to have real value we must consider its possible uses. Number one on that list should be the payers. Actually knowing what your center is doing well is important. Knowing where you need to improve is important as well, but understanding what the payers want to see may well be the most important consideration of all. If the industry cannot demonstrate the effectiveness of its treatment methods through solid, scientifically collected outcome data, payers will eventually stop paying for it all together. At that point, it will not matter what your center excels at. MAP believes that most treatment providers do an excellent job helping their clients to find sobriety and recovery. Having the data to prove it will allow them to continue this vitally important work.

Apples to Apples

The final challenge the industry faces is developing and adopting a standardized data collection methodology and question set. If every center is collecting different outcome data, then it will still be impossible to compare one center to another, or to present reports on the effectiveness of one treatment model over another. MAP believes that the ability to compare apples to apples is going to be increasingly important as time goes on.