SANTA ANA, Calif., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brief patient self-report questionnaires can help alert behavioral health professionals to problems with substance abuse so patients may receive timely, appropriate treatment, according to a study published in the August edition of the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety.
The PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) study involved more than 60,000 adult patients who completed at least one questionnaire between 1999 and August 2002. Of those, approximately 5,000, or 8 percent, of patients acknowledged potential substance-abuse issues on the questionnaire. However, only 18 percent of clinicians treating the same patients in the study reported a substance-abuse disorder in their assessment.
In 2001, after PBH instituted its formal feedback procedure, the Life Status Questionnaire (LSQ), clinician detection of substance abuse almost doubled, increasing to 33 percent.
The LSQ is a 30-question patient self-evaluation instrument and part of PBH’s innovative ALERT(R) outcomes management system, which provides real-time treatment guidance for network clinicians serving PBH members throughout the United States. The study evaluated two sources of data: the LSQ completed by patients; and a one-page assessment form completed by treating clinicians. Whenever a patient’s assessment conflicts significantly with the clinician’s assessment of high-risk issues such as potential substance abuse or suicidal thinking, the clinician is contacted to better understand the discrepancy and to authorize any necessary changes to the patient’s treatment plan.
According to the National Comorbidity Survey, about 11 percent of adult Americans during a 12-month period meet the diagnostic criteria for a substance-abuse disorder. Primary care and behavioral health clinicians frequently report difficulty in detecting substance-related problems among patients, thereby leading to increased morbidity, mortality and health care costs, and diminished productivity and quality of life.
“Substance abuse is a major health problem affecting millions of Americans and their families,” said Edward R. Jones, Ph.D., one of the study’s co-authors and vice president and chief clinical officer of PacifiCare Behavioral Health. “When a patient starts therapy, these problems might not be immediately recognized since other issues may be more pressing. We believe self-report questionnaires, like PacifiCare’s proprietary Life Status Questionnaire, are effective in identifying patients with substance-abuse disorders because patients are asked to rate the degree to which their functioning is affected by a variety of problematic behaviors and moods. We have found that most patients are quite candid in their responses. These tools help ensure that clinicians have a comprehensive understanding of their patients’ problems.”
The study was conducted by G.S. (Jeb) Brown, Ph.D., of the Center of Clinical Informatics in Salt Lake City, Utah; Richard Hermann, M.D., director, Center for Quality Assessment and Improvement, Mental Health, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston; and Jingyang Wu, M.S., M.Stat., biostatistician, Center for Clinical Informatics; and Dr. Jones.
About PacifiCare Behavioral Health
PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc. provides mental health, chemical dependency and employee assistance services to covered members and maintains a national network of behavioral health care practitioners. All PacifiCare Behavioral Health service centers hold three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as well as URAC Health Utilization Management Accreditation. PacifiCare Behavioral Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCare Health Systems , with clients including health plans, union trust funds, employers, school districts and public sector agencies. More information on PacifiCare Behavioral Health can be obtained at http://www.pbhi.com/.
About PacifiCare Health Systems
PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation’s largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 10 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare’s commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare’s specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/.
For further information, please contact: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453, dagmar.king@phs.com; or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems, +1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com.
PacifiCare Behavioral Health, Inc.
CONTACT: Dagmar King of PacifiCare Behavioral Health, +1-714-445-0453,dagmar.king@phs.com; or Dan Miller of PacifiCare Health Systems,+1-714-226-3726, dan.miller@phs.com
Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/
Web site: http://www.pbhi.com/
