Effectiveness Bank matrix row 2. Generic and cross-cutting issues

Matrix row

Drug Treatment Matrix row 2: Generic and cross-cutting issues

Whether medical or psychosocial, if you work in/with treatment the five cells in this row offer an opportunity to reconsider what it’s all about and how to make it better. Along the route takes in the meaning of ‘recovery’, worker-client relationships (“the heart of addiction treatment”), the ubiquitous stages of change model, what makes treatment services engaging, and payment-by-results funding mechanisms.

Cell A2 What is treatment for?

What is treatment there to do? ‘Cure’ addiction, or promote meaningful and productive lives? Meet patients’ wishes, or aid the government’s welfare-to-work agenda? And what do the patients want? Is treatment pushing them in the opposite direction? Also explore the highly political genesis and results of the two most important UK treatment studies.

Cell B2 The face of drug addiction treatment

At the front line the counsellor, doctor, therapist or keyworker is to the patient the face of addiction treatment. Key research shows they can matter enormously – not so much in their formal qualifications, but in their manner with the patients. Other times, it seems a conducive manner just makes treatment appealing enough to stay in longer. Probe with us the heart of addiction treatment: relationships.

Also see hot topic on the role of staff in addiction treatment.

Cell C2 Managing transformation

Moves up a level from the intervention and the individual practitioner to treatment management and supervision. Commentary asks, “Is there anything more instructive than being the patient?” – not literally, but by placing yourself in their shoes. Also explores the role of patient choice and preferences in treatment planning, and queries the ubiquitous stages of change model as a basis for determining the treatment offer.

Also see hot topic on why some treatment services are more effective than others.

Cell D2 Engaging organisations, engaging treatment

Up a level further to the whole organisation. Asks what makes a treatment service engaging – and whether to extend engagement into long-term care. Highlights the most wide-ranging investigation yet of the organisational health of British services. Implication was, ensure your staff experience what through them you want patients to experience: respect, understanding, and support; still true in the hard-nosed era of carrot-and-stick incentives?

Also see hot topic on why some treatment services are more effective than others.

Cell E2 Treatment systems; unintended consequences and improving performance

Up to the final level – systems for providing treatment across a commissioning area. Commentary examines payment-by-results funding mechanisms (do they impede recovery by paying for it?), crime-reduction as a justification for treatment (was it ever really evidence-based?), and ways to improve treatment systems, based on a little-known English report which went beyond identifying variation in performance to trying to account for it.