title: Client satisfaction with rural substance abuse case management services.
abstract: Although many substance abuse organizations offer case management services, little is known about clients' satisfaction as consumers of case management services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate consumer preferences regarding the delivery of case management services in a rural substance abuse treatment program. For this study, 120 clients (30 in each of four research conditions) were interviewed about their experiences in the Iowa Case Management Project (ICMP), a field-based clinical trial evaluating a strengths-based model of case management for rural clients in drug abuse treatment. A mixed-method approach evaluated clients' responses from a semistructured interview. Most clients preferred meeting with their case manager in their own home. Clients also stated that they preferred specific characteristics of case management services-namely, convenience, privacy, comfort, and accessibility. Finally, clients wanted more time with their case managers over time. Although clients in drug treatment are not often considered as consumers, we found that client satisfaction with case management services could be studied and that clients appreciated being asked about their experiences. By targeting perceived and actual barriers to meeting with case managers (e.g., availability of transportation), service utilization by clients may be increased along with overall satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: B C Robin
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kopelman
authors.forename: Mary Vaughan
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Sarrazin
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome