NCJ Number
51138
Journal
EVALUATION Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (1974) Pages: 49-52
Date Published
1974
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM (NIAAA) HAS DEVELOPED A COMPUTERIZED MONITORING SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES CONTINUOUS INFORMATION FOR PLANNING AND DECISIONMAKING AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
Abstract
MORE THAN 40,000 PERSONS WERE CONTACTED THE FIRST YEAR THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATIONAL, AND THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN THE SYSTEM HAS INCREASED FROM THE ORIGINAL NUMBER OF 44 TO MORE THAN 100. PROJECT TYPES REPRESENTED IN THE SYSTEM INCLUDE COMMUNITY-ORIENTED ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT CENTERS, PUBLIC INEBRIATE PROGRAMS, AND INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOLISM PROGRAMS. AT THE INITIATION OF LOCAL TREATMENT PROGRAMS, AN INTERNAL RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM IS ESTABLISHED AND A STAFF MEMBER IS ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY CLIENT AND MANAGEMENT DATA. THE MONITORING SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO INCLUDE, IN AN OVERALL SYSTEM STRUCTURE, VARIOUS PROGRAMS OF THE NIAAA. A SET OF CORE DATA FORMS, WITH APPLICATION TO ANY CLIENT-ORIENTED ALCOHOLISM PROGRAM, IS EMPLOYED IN TREATMENT PROJECTS AND FORMS THE BASIS OF A COMMON DATA SYSTEM. INPUT ELEMENTS TO THE MONITORING SYSTEM INCLUDE DATA ON PROGRAM RESOURCES, AGENCY ACTIVITIES, CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, AND CLIENT CHANGE INFORMATION. USING THE QUANTITY-FREQUENCY INDEX, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE THE AVERAGE DAILY INTAKE OF ALCOHOL BY CLIENTS. THE IMPAIRMENT INDEX INCLUDES QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF SHAKES OR BLACKOUTS AND ABOUT QUARRELSOMENESS OR AGGRESSIVENESS WHILE DRINKING. ROUTINE OUTPUT REPORTS ARE GENERATED MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY. FINDINGS FROM THE MONITORING SYSTEM AND RELATED EVALUATION PROCEDURES HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM CHANGES, AND EVEN POLICY CHANGES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. PROBLEMS INHERENT IN THE SYSTEM ARE NOTED, AND SAMPLE OUTPUT DATA ON CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)