Improve the Effectiveness and Capacity of Specialist Treatment

What does this mean?

Dependent drinkers represent a very high-risk group for alcohol-related hospital admissions. Providing evidenced based, effective treatment as well as increasing treatment opportunities for dependent drinkers may offer the most immediate opportunity to reduce alcohol-related admissions. Reviewing care pathways, access times and blockages into treatment offer opportunities to improve the local treatment system.

What is the evidence that this works?

Models of care for alcohol misusers (MoCAM) describes a four tier system of stepped care for alcohol misusers (DH, 2006)

describes a four tier system of stepped care for alcohol misusers (DH, 2006)

The Review of the effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems provides the evidence base for effective treatments (NTA, 2006)

McKenna et al. (1996) showed that alcohol dependent service users were more costly in terms of health costs than those with other levels of alcohol abuse -£1222 compared to £632 over a six month period in 1994 prices - and have poorer health.

The UK Alcohol Treatment Trial (UKATT) shows that, over a 6-month period, specialist treatment delivered savings of nearly £1138 per dependent drinker treated and reduce hospital stays (UKATT Research Team, 2005b).

25% of patients involved in the UKATT study had a successful outcome, reporting no continuing alcohol-related problems and 40% of patients reported being much improved, reducing their alcohol problems by 66% (UKATT Research Team, 2005a).

References

McKenna, M., Chick, J., Buxton, M., Howlett, H., Patience, D. and Ritson, B.(1996) The SECCAT Survey 1. The costs and consequences of alcoholism, Alcohol and Alcoholism, 3196): 565-576.

Department of Health (2006). Models of care for alcohol misusers (MoCAM). DH

Signs for Improvement - Commissioning interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm

National Treatment Agency (2006). Review of the effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems. London: NTA

UKATT Research Team (2005a). Effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems:

Findings of the randomised UK Alcohol Treatment Trial (UKATT). British Medical Journal, 311, 541-544.

UKATT Research Team (2005b). Cost-effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems: Findings of the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial. British Medical Journal, 331, 544-547.

Case Examples

Bolton Redesigned Alcohol Treatment System

After identifying a lack of integration and effi ciency in the structure of local alcohol services, Bolton PCT and Bolton Council worked with local service providers to redesign the area's Alcohol Treatment System in 2007.

View the full project on HubCAPP: www.hubcapp.org.uk/V3FO