title: A business case for quality improvement in addiction treatment: evidence from the NIATx collaborative.
abstract: The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) promotes treatment access and retention through a customer-focused quality improvement model. This paper explores the issue of the "business case" for quality improvement in addiction treatment from the provider's perspective. The business case model developed in this paper is based on case examples of early NIATx participants coupled with a review of the literature. Process inefficiencies indicated by long waiting times, high no-show rates, and low continuation rates cause underutilization of capacity and prevent optimal financial performance. By adopting customer-focused practices aimed at removing barriers to treatment access and retention, providers may be able to improve financial performance, increase staff retention, and gain long-term strategic advantage.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, USA. andrew.quanbeck@chess.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Quanbeck
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Eldon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Edmundson
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: K John
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gustafson
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000191:economics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*