Co-ordination and continuity of care in substance abuse treatment. An evaluation study in Belgium.
Considering the complexity of drug dependence and the multiplicity of services for substance abusers, co-ordination and continuity of care are important prerequisites for the quality of substance abuse treatment. However, several shortcomings concerning co-operation, communication and co-ordination have been reported in most European countries. In this study, different aspects of co-ordination and continuity (e.g. first contact, intake, referral, follow-up) have been studied among all services (n = 27) that are addressed by substance abusers in a clear-cut region in Belgium. Structured interviews with key informants show a lack of systematic communication between services and a lack of follow-up of clients. A study of 57 client records in 12 of these 27 centers illustrates that relatively little information is registered concerning the course of the treatment process and that only 10% of all client files contain a treatment plan. Following the introduction of a formalized plan that was regarded as a precondition for systematizing and optimizing communication between services, key informants considered the implementation of a model of case management as an appropriate way of improving co-ordination and continuity of care in this region.
Vanderplasschen
Wouter
W
Department of Orthopedagogics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Wouter.Vanderplasschen@rug.ac.be
De Bourdeaudhuij
Ilse
I
Van Oost
Paulette
P
D001530:Belgium; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires