Computer-assisted drug prevention and treatment program evaluation

Summary Drug addiction research is conducted to monitor the delivery of services, improve the treatment process, increase retention, evaluate the outcomes, and reduce the relapse rate. Efficient information technology facilitates effective program management and credible research. Integrity House, a traditional drug-free therapeutic community with a variety of outpatient programs, maintains several databases (intake information, the clinical file, and the daily activities file). A flat file database program with an integrated word processor is used since it is easy to leam for people with no prior computer experience. Sophisticated statistical analyses are performed by transferring the data to a university mainframe. Database management allows staff to evaluate treatment process, identify trends, and study relationships between residents' characteristics and process variables.