Clinic policy and retention in methadone maintenance.
Advantage was taken of a natural experiment to investigate the relationship of clinic objectives and procedures with retention in methadone maintenance. Assessment, maximum dose, and time in treatment data on 238 patients were summarized using Cox regression. While allowing for patient descriptors and maximum dose of methadone, those subjects assigned to a strongly abstinence-oriented program were 26% (95% C.I., 18 to 33%), 98% (66 to 137%), 213% (132 to 322%), and 393% (224 to 651%) more likely to leave treatment in the first, second, third, fourth 6 months of treatment, respectively, than those subjects assigned to a more laissez-faire program.
Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, N.S.W., Australia.
J R
JR
Caplehorn
D R
DR
McNeil
D G
DG
Kleinbaum
D000328:Adult; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013997:Time Factors
D008691:Methadone