7 - The Addiction Severity Index Multimedia Version: An Innovative Computerized Assessment Tool for Substance Abuse Treatment

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the computerized version of the ASI, called the Addiction Severity Index Multimedia Version (ASI-MV). The ASI was designed as a structured clinical interview focusing on many key aspects of a substance abuser's life. Although the ASI is very useful in a variety of ways, it is plagued by a number of important problems. Most of the issues associated with the ASI pertain to the fact that it is a lengthy, structured interview that requires extensive and repeated interviewer training to achieve and maintain reliability. With these ASI problems in mind, the research and development team at Inflexxion began to work on a technological solution in the mid-1990s. With support from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Inflexxion team developed a computerized, client self-administered version of the ASI, with audio and video, entitled the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV). Because minimal staff time (completion of a basic information screen) is necessary to administer the program, the ASI-MV® can be used for a fraction of the cost of a face-to-face ASI interview. Additionally, staff can focus on developing effective treatment plans rather than administering the ASI. The ASI-MV® is offered in English, Spanish, and now Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese). It is currently used in over 800 sites in the United States, Canada, and Australia. An online version, ASI-MV® | Connect, was launched in the spring of 2007 and an adolescent version was released in mid-2008. The ASI-MV® has proven to be both a cost-effective and a time-saving tool for commercial customers of Inflexxion. Utilization of the ASI-MV represents a potential 72% savings in assessment costs.