| Summary: | The Services Research Outcomes Study (SROS) sought to
answer questions about drug treatment efficacy and to describe client
characteristics. The study was designed to provide (1) a 1990 cohort
of clients to use as baseline for possible changes in treatment
outcomes following increased funding to the national treatment system
in the 1990s, (2) a before-to-after comparison to measure outcomes of
treatment provided in 1990, (3) a follow-up of drug treatment clients
five years after treatment to assess the level of sustained
improvements in abstinence, and (4) a first look at multiple treatment
episodes before and after treatment in a 1990 population. Part 1
is the Facility Director Interviews and covered topics such as
facility staff and organization, revenue and charges, staff hours and
compensation, costs, and program characteristics. Part 2 is the
Client Records Abstractions Data, which examined the client records of
2,222 individuals discharged during 1980-1990. Information was
abstracted on demographic characteristics of clients, criminal justice
involvement, medical conditions, drug history including intravenous
drug use, urine test results, drug treatment history, treatment
services, and discharge and billing information. Part 3
consists of the Client Follow-Up Interviews, and was conducted during
1995 and 1996. This part covered the clients' entire life span, with
special attention to their behavior and circumstances during the five
years before entry to the index (SROS) treatment in 1989-1990 and
after leaving that treatment until the time of the
interview. Additional questions were asked on patterns of alcohol and
drug consumption, criminal activity, employment, health, social
support, and other behavior relevant to treatment goals. Drugs
included cocaine, crack, heroin, nontreatment methadone, other
opiates/synthetics, barbiturates, benzodiazapine, other
sedatives/hypnotics, methamphetamines, other amphetamines,
marijuana/hash/THC, PCP/LSD, other hallucinogens, inhalants,
over-the-counter medications, and alcohol. |
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| Sample: | A representative probability sample was drawn from a
comprehensive list of organized substance abuse treatment programs for
the Drug Services Research Study (DSRS). The DSRS collected basic
facility-level information and in Phase II successfully abstracted
2,222 client records of individuals discharged during 1989-1990 from
120 randomly-selected, cooperating treatment facilities. Program types
included hospital inpatient, residential, outpatient methadone, and
outpatient nonmethadone. The SROS was designed as a client outcome
study based on the DSRS program sample, and 99 of the original 120
treatment facilities participated in SROS (82.5 percent). Two client
samples were used: (1) the 1,706 clients discharged from these 99
Phase II DSRS facilities in the 12 months ending August 31, 1990,
whose client records were abstracted for the DSRS, and (2) a
supplemental sample of 1,341 clients discharged in the same time frame
from the 99 facilities. A total of 1,799 interviews were completed,
for a client response rate of 59 percent. |
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