Premature Discharge from Methadone Treatment: Patient Perspectives

Heather Schacht Reisinger; Robert P Schwartz; Shannon Gwin Mitchell; James A Peterson; Sharon M Kelly; Kevin E O'Grady; Erica A Marrari; Barry S Brown; Michael H Agar

doi:10.1080/02791072.2009.10400539

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Premature Discharge from Methadone Treatment: Patient Perspectives

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Premature Discharge from Methadone Treatment: Patient Perspectives

Heather Schacht Reisinger, Robert P Schwartz, Shannon Gwin Mitchell, James A Peterson, Sharon M Kelly, Kevin E O'Grady, Erica A Marrari, Barry S Brown and Michael H Agar

Journal of psychoactive drugs, Vol.41(3), pp.285-296

09/01/2009

DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2009.10400539

PMCID: PMC2796585

PMID: 19999682

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Abstract

Longer retention in drug abuse treatment is associated with better patient outcomes, and research indicates the first 12 months of methadone treatment are critical to patient success. Nevertheless, large-scale multisite longitudinal studies over the past three decades indicate that the majority of patients drop out during the first year of methadone treatment. Through an examination of 42 qualitative interviews with patients prematurely discharged from six methadone treatment programs in Baltimore, this study highlights factors patients describe as contributing to their reasons for being discharged within the first 12 months of the treatment. The two most consistent themes are program-related factors and incarceration. The former factors are richly described through patients' words and underscore the ways in which patients' perceptions of control exerted by the program and by the medication and misunderstandings of program structure can lead to premature discharge. Patients' reasons for discharge were compared to counselors' reasons as indicated in discharge summary forms. An analysis of the patterns of agreement and disagreement are presented. Patient-centered program and policy implications are discussed.

discharge

ethnography

methadone treatment

Details

Title: Subtitle: Premature Discharge from Methadone Treatment: Patient Perspectives
Creators: Heather Schacht Reisinger - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
Robert P Schwartz - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
Shannon Gwin Mitchell - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
James A Peterson - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
Sharon M Kelly - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
Kevin E O'Grady - University of Maryland College Park
Erica A Marrari - Friends Research Institute, Inc., Social Research Center
Barry S Brown - University of North Carolina
Michael H Agar - Ethknoworks
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of psychoactive drugs, Vol.41(3), pp.285-296
DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2009.10400539
PMID: 19999682
PMCID: PMC2796585
NLM abbreviation: J Psychoactive Drugs
ISSN: 0279-1072
eISSN: 2159-9777
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Language: English
Date published: 09/01/2009
Academic Unit: Center for Social Science Innovation; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984094329802771

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