Reengineering Methadone Treatment Study of Patient-centered Methadone Treatment

Friends Research Institute, Inc.300 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of the study is to determine whether a change in the rules and staff roles in methadone treatment programs will result in greater lengths of stay in treatment and lower rates of heroin and cocaine use, crime and HIV-risk behavior as compared to methadone treatment as usual.

Early drop-out and premature discharge from methadone treatment is common in the United States and may be associated with drug use and its associated problems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel approach to the organization methadone treatment in which the patient rules and staff roles of the clinic will be modified for study participants as compared to patients receiving standard methadone treatment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

300

Conditions

Opiate Dependence

Interventions

Patient-Centered Methadone TreatmentOTHER

Unlike in treatment as usual, counseling will be encouraged but not required and counselors will be responsible for enforcing the clinic's rules. The rules will be enforced by the Clinical Director. Clinic rules will be modified such that involuntary discharge from treatment will be a rare event.

Methadone Treatment as usualOTHER

Counseling will be required and counselors will enforce the usual clinic rules. Involuntary discharge may occur for ongoing drug use or rule infractions as usually occurs in the clinic.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * opiate dependence * newly admitted to methadone treatment Exclusion Criteria: * pregnancy

Locations (2)

Institutes for Behavior Resources REACH

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of Maryland Drug Treatment Center

Baltimore, Maryland, United States