Call for Evidence-Based Practices to Treat Substance Use Disorders February 13, 2006 Announcement



Contact: National Quality Forum info@qualityforum.org <mailto:info@qualityforum.org> The National Quality Forum is pleased to

announce initiation of a project, "Evidence-Based Practices to Treat Substance Use Disorders," funded by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation. This project seeks to achieve national voluntary consensus on a set of effective, well-specified practices for the treatment of substance

use disorders (SUDs).



In December 2004, the National Quality Forum (NQF) conducted a workshop addressing effective treatment for patients with SUDs and participants

recommended seven general categories of treatment practices. This project will build on the results of that workshop by: 

• establishing a set of more detailed and fully specified candidate
• practices within each of the seven areas recommended by the workshop; 
• reviewing the importance, effectiveness, feasibility, and usefulness of the candidate practices, including their usefulness as the basis for future
  
  performance measures; and 
• pursuing national consensus around the identified practices. With this notice we are seeking information about practices in seven general
  
  categories of treatment for SUDs recommended by workshop participants:
  
  1. Opportunistic screening for alcohol misuse in all healthcare settings.
  
  2. Brief intervention, by a healthcare practitioner trained in this technique, for patients identified with SUDs (both drug and alcohol).
  
  3. A written treatment "prescription" for needed services for all patients assessed and diagnosed with SUD.
  
  4. Initiation of effective psychosocial interventions for all patients referred for specialty SUD treatment.
  
  5. Consideration of addiction-focused pharmacotherapy for patients with alcohol or opioid dependence.
  
  6. Systematic activities to promote patient engagement and retention in treatment by specialty SUD providers.
  
  7. Processes for engaging SUD patients in long-term monitoring/management through collaboration between specialty and primary
  
  care providers. To be considered, submitters must be willing to make the details of the practice openly available and free to providers and provide
  
  the following information on the form provided:
• Identifying information for the submitter 
• Name or brief description of the practice 
• Precise specifications 
• Source of the practice 
• Theoretical and/or clinical rationale 
• Evidence demonstrating effectiveness 
• Specific information on degree of current use 
• Technology and staff requirements 
• Documentation of any professional consensus Questions: If you have project-specific questions, please contact Karen Pace, RN, PhD, at
  
  202.783.1300 or info@qualityforum.org. Please submit practices by close of business on Monday, March 13, 2006 by fax, e-mail, or U.S.
  
  mail/overnight/hand delivery to:
  
  
  
  National Quality Forum Attn: Substance Abuse Practices
  
  601 Thirteenth St. NW, Suite 500N Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 783-1300
  
  Fax: (202) 783-3434 E-mail: info@qualityforum.org (Please do not rely on e-mail only to transmit your submission.)