When you’re considering whether to invest your time, money, and effort into a treatment program for a substance use disorder or mental health issue, there’s really only one thing you want to know: Will it work? This is a surprisingly hard question to answer. While a common estimate for treatment success rates is that between 40 and 60 percent of people will relapse, most treatment facilities claim a success rate of about 80 to 85 percent. What does that mean, exactly? It’s hard to say. Tracking success rates for patients after treatment is tricky. Reputable programs want accurate feedback so they can improve their methods. They typically follow up with patients by making contact at regular intervals and ask how things are going–whether they’ve used again, how they’re feeling, what problems they’ve had since leaving the program, and so on. They rely heavily on self-reporting from patients. This is valuable information, but it’s also incomplete. Patients who are having problems or have relapsed are often reluctant admit it over the phone. They may not pick up the phone at all when the treatment staff calls. As few as 40 percent of patients actually pick up the phone when someone calls to check on them. However, many facilities claim an 80 to 85 percent success rate based on interviews with the minority of patients who answer. Most insurers don’t keep track of outcomes for patients who have entered treatment for substance use disorder or mental health issues, meaning most insurers will pay for treatment without knowing whether it will be effective. However, Optum has been developing metrics to measure the outcomes of treatment programs for years. One big indicator is readmission rates, meaning any time a patient receives any additional addiction or mental health related care following treatment, whether it’s an emergency room visit or readmission to treatment at any level. They also look at length of stay, cost of episode of care, and whether the patient is engaging with opportunities for follow-up care after a week and after 30 days. Optum also requires in-network treatment centers to offer medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorders. Based on these criteria, only about five percent of treatment centers in the US have currently been awarded Optum’s platinum designation. Recovery Ways has been awarded platinum status for the past two years and we expect to be awarded platinum status again. While the average readmission rate in the US is about 15 percent, our readmission rate is below 10 percent and dropping. This is due in part our active outreach, checking in with patients and reminding them of upcoming appointments. For patients, this means they can expect evidence-based treatment, including medication-assisted treatment. All members of our highly qualified staff are all trained in the same evidence-based practices, leading to a coherent approach to treatment. We also focus heavily on clinical assessment of disorders such as
- depression
- anxiety
- PTSD
- eating disorders
- sex addiction.
A more comprehensive understanding of each patient’s issues leads to more effective, individualized treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental illness, we can help. Recovery Ways is a premier drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have the resources to effectively treat a dual diagnosis. Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective, accessible substance abuse treatment to as many people as possible. Request information online or call us today at 1-888-986-7848.
