Predictors of patient entry into alcohol treatment after initial diagnosis.
To improve the quality of care for alcohol-related disorders, key transitions in the continuum of care, including treatment entry, must be fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate identifiable predictors of patient entry into a substance-use treatment program following the initial diagnosis of an alcohol-related disorder on a medical or surgical inpatient unit. An administrative computerized database was used to identify the sample for this study. Inpatient and outpatient records were obtained from the Little Rock VAMC/DHCP. Predictors of patient entry into treatment within six months of the initial diagnosis of an alcohol related disorder included age younger than than 60 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.6), not married (OR = 1.7), primary diagnosis of an alcohol-related disorder (OR = 7.7), diagnosis of a comorbid drug (OR = 4.3) or psychiatric disorder (OR = 3.6), diagnosis by a medical as opposed to a surgical specialty (OR = 6.0), and African American (OR = 1.7).
VA HSR&D Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, North Little Rock, AR 72114, USA. kirchnerjoanne@exchange.uams.edu
J E
JE
Kirchner
B M
BM
Booth
R R
RR
Owen
A E
AE
Lancaster
G R
GR
Smith
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001131:Arkansas; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology