Attitudes toward standardized assessment among individuals who use substances

Abstract

Standardized assessment and progress monitoring are an important part of evidence-based practice. Despite efforts to embed standardized assessments into routine practice, they remain underutilized by practitioners. This underutilization has been attributed to a variety of factors, one of which is the concern that standardized assessments are a burden for individuals to complete. This study sought to gather the first descriptive data on substance users’ attitudes toward the use of standardized assessments as part of an initial assessment and for progress monitoring. Seventy-one Australian substance-using individuals (54.9% male) recruited via online forums, practitioner networks, and advertisements placed in relevant treatment services completed an online survey. The majority of substance-using individuals believed standardized initial assessment and progress monitoring measures to be beneficial to fill out, not burdensome, and valuable in monitoring treatment progress. Individuals would also prefer to choose the administration format of assessment (e.g. computer, mobile device, pencil-and-paper). Findings challenge the assumption that including standardized assessments in routine practice will be considered too burdensome by individuals who use substances, and offer insights that can inform patient-centred implementation.