Pretreatment dropout as a function of treatment delay and client variables

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1995

Abstract

Utilizing a retrospective analysis we examined factors correlated with preintake dropout in patients phoning to make intake appointments for cocaine treatment. Inquiries of 235 individuals calling our outpatient cocaine treatment program over a 7-month period were analyzed for relationships between patient age and gender; residence in the city where the program is located; marital status; referral source; reported problems with alcohol, marijuana, and heroin; reported last use of cocaine or other illicit stimulants; assigned counselor gender; person who made the appointment; days to the intake appointment; and attending the scheduled intake session. Only days to appointment was significantly (Wald = 12.4587, df = 1, p < .05 and χ2 = 17.7, df = 8, p < .05) correlated with attending the scheduled intake session. Appointments scheduled the same day differed significantly (χ2 = 4.3, n = 235, df = 1, p < .05) from appointments scheduled later. This suggests that client and situational variables are not significantly related to initial attendance and enhances the significance of systemic variables that are under a clinic's control, such as appointment delay. The results indicate that the longer the delay between the initial phone contact and the scheduled appointment, the less likely a client is to attend an appointment. Further, they suggest that the greatest decrease in initial attendance occurs in the first 24 hours following the phone inquiry. Taking a 'microscopic' look at the appointment delay variable is valuable in understanding and addressing preintake dropout.

Publication Title

Addictive Behaviors

Volume

20

Issue

1

First Page

111

Last Page

115

Comments

This article was published in Addictive Behaviors, Volume 20, Issue 1, Pages 111-115.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(94)00052-Z .

Copyright © 1996 Elsevier.

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