Moving research into community settings in the CSAT methamphetamine treatment project: the coordinating center perspective.
The CSAT Methamphetamine Treatment Project (MTP) has been established to conduct a ground-breaking exercise in bringing research into a closer relationship with community-based treatment service organizations. In this article, some of the opportunities and challenges faced by the MTP coordinating center as it has attempted to bring research into community treatment organizations are described. Initially, there has been an active, energetic effort to design the study protocol, focus the activities of the project, and prioritize the tasks to be accomplished. The methods for training the research staff and monitoring the conduct of the research in the community sites are described. A number of observations have been made about the different "cultures and values" of the researchers and the seven clinical organizations where the project has been conducted. The myriad mistakes made and lessons learned about how to conduct a rigorous randomized clinical trial in community treatment organizations may be important for future research-treatment efforts. There has been a wealth of experience gained in the first year of this project that may be of use as efforts move forward to reduce the gap between research and practice.
Rawson
R A
RA
UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program, UCLA Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles, California, USA.
McCann
M J
MJ
Huber
A
A
Marinelli-Casey
P
P
Williams
L
L
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006801:Humans; D008694:Methamphetamine; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States; D014482:United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D008694:Methamphetamine