Abstract
Aims and MethodTo assess the preferences of people attending a substance misuse facility towards the treatment options available for opiate dependency. Interviews were conducted using a card sorting technique.ResultsThe majority (60%) of the 101 participants believed that detoxification was superior to maintenance in preventing illicit heroin use. The preferred treatment options were oral methadone, buprenorphine, drug-free rehabilitation, in-patient detoxification and prescription of injectable drugs.Clinical ImplicationsBoth pharmacological and psychosocial options, including in-patient detoxification and rehabilitation, are among the treatments preferred by clients of substance misuse services. There is also a significant demand for both injectable drugs and dihydrocodeine.
Highlights
One of the six elements of a quality service, according to Appleby (2000), involves being ‘user-led’, i.e. guided by patients’ views on how services should develop. This reflects a general trend in health services in Western democracies (Crawford et al, 2002; Say & Thomson, 2003)
The National Service Framework for Mental Health created a working group to develop research tools with service users to assess their views on how services can best meet their needs (Department of Health, 2000b)
Approval to undertake the study was obtained from the South London and Maudsley National Health Service (NHS) Trust research ethics committee
Summary
The majority (60%) of the 101 participants believed that detoxification was superior to maintenance in preventing illicit heroin use. The preferred treatment options were oral methadone, buprenorphine, drug-free rehabilitation, in-patient detoxification and prescription of injectable drugs. One of the six elements of a quality service, according to Appleby (2000), involves being ‘user-led’, i.e. guided by patients’ views on how services should develop. This reflects a general trend in health services in Western democracies (Crawford et al, 2002; Say & Thomson, 2003). The National Service Framework for Mental Health created a working group to develop research tools with service users to assess their views on how services can best meet their needs (Department of Health, 2000b). The objective of this study was to assess the preference of people with opiate dependency attending a substance misuse facility for the various treatment options
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