TY - JOUR
T1 - Pretreatment dropout as a function of treatment delay and client variables
AU - Festinger, David S.
AU - Lamb, R. J.
AU - Kountz, Maria R.
AU - Kirby, Kimberly C.
AU - Marlowe, Douglas
PY - 1995/1/1
Y1 - 1995/1/1
N2 - Utilizing a retrospective analysis we examined factors correlated with preintake dropout in patients phoning to make intake appointments for cocaine treatment. Inquiries of 235 individuals calling our outpatient cocaine treatment program over a 7-month period were analyzed for relationships between patient age and gender; residence in the city where the program is located; marital status; referral source; reported problems with alcohol, marijuana, and heroin; reported last use of cocaine or other illicit stimulants; assigned counselor gender; person who made the appointment; days to the intake appointment; and attending the scheduled intake session. Only days to appointment was significantly (Wald = 12.4587, df = 1, p < .05 and χ2 = 17.7, df = 8, p < .05) correlated with attending the scheduled intake session. Appointments scheduled the same day differed significantly (χ2 = 4.3, n = 235, df = 1, p < .05) from appointments scheduled later. This suggests that client and situational variables are not significantly related to initial attendance and enhances the significance of systemic variables that are under a clinic's control, such as appointment delay. The results indicate that the longer the delay between the initial phone contact and the scheduled appointment, the less likely a client is to attend an appointment. Further, they suggest that the greatest decrease in initial attendance occurs in the first 24 hours following the phone inquiry. Taking a "microscopic" look at the appointment delay variable is valuable in understanding and addressing preintake dropout.
AB - Utilizing a retrospective analysis we examined factors correlated with preintake dropout in patients phoning to make intake appointments for cocaine treatment. Inquiries of 235 individuals calling our outpatient cocaine treatment program over a 7-month period were analyzed for relationships between patient age and gender; residence in the city where the program is located; marital status; referral source; reported problems with alcohol, marijuana, and heroin; reported last use of cocaine or other illicit stimulants; assigned counselor gender; person who made the appointment; days to the intake appointment; and attending the scheduled intake session. Only days to appointment was significantly (Wald = 12.4587, df = 1, p < .05 and χ2 = 17.7, df = 8, p < .05) correlated with attending the scheduled intake session. Appointments scheduled the same day differed significantly (χ2 = 4.3, n = 235, df = 1, p < .05) from appointments scheduled later. This suggests that client and situational variables are not significantly related to initial attendance and enhances the significance of systemic variables that are under a clinic's control, such as appointment delay. The results indicate that the longer the delay between the initial phone contact and the scheduled appointment, the less likely a client is to attend an appointment. Further, they suggest that the greatest decrease in initial attendance occurs in the first 24 hours following the phone inquiry. Taking a "microscopic" look at the appointment delay variable is valuable in understanding and addressing preintake dropout.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028798743&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028798743&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0306-4603(94)00052-Z
DO - 10.1016/0306-4603(94)00052-Z
M3 - Article
C2 - 7785476
AN - SCOPUS:0028798743
VL - 20
SP - 111
EP - 115
JO - Addictive Behaviors
JF - Addictive Behaviors
SN - 0306-4603
IS - 1
ER -