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Dissertation
Effects of varying initial appointment delays on intake attendance, tenure, and outcome in outpatient cocaine treatment
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
Aug 1998
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00008225
Abstract
Previous studies investigating the effects of appointment delay on initial attendance to out-patient drug-treatment indicate that offering clients earlier appointments increases initial attendance. Without exception, these investigations were either correlational, or have only two conditions, one immediate or early and one later. Thus, these studies were unable to identify the relationship between appointment delay and attendance of the initial appointment. The present study used an experimental design with four different delays in an effort to isolate this relationship. In the study, 116 clients calling an urban, outpatient cocaine treatment clinic to schedule initial appointments were randomly assigned to appointments either the same day, one-day, three-days, or seven-days later. Of the 116 subjects, 60 (51.7%) showed for their initial appointments. Chi-square analysis indicated an unequal distribution with a greater percentage of one-day subjects attending their initial appointments, 21 (72%); compared to same-day 16 (55%); three-day 12 (41%), and seven-day subjects 11 (38%). Client characteristics including age, gender, marital status, number of days since last use of cocaine, and comorbid abuse of alcohol, marijuana, or heroin, had no significant effect on intake attendance. Of the 60 clients who attended their initial appointments, there were no significant between group differences on mean length of time in treatment, mean number of counseling sessions attended, mean number of cocaine-free urines provided while in treatment, or on the Addiction Severity Indexes (ASI) severity of drug use composite at 3 month follow-up. In summary, the relationship between initial attendance and appointment delay appears to be an inverted-U-shaped function that peaks in this population at the one-day delay. Further, clients accepting the one-day appointments are likely to do at least as well and remain in treatment at least as long as those scheduled to different delays, and thus, the additional clients brought into treatment by optimizing intake delay appear to do at least as well in treatment as those not requiring this manipulation to assure their initial attendance.
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Details
- Title
- Effects of varying initial appointment delays on intake attendance, tenure, and outcome in outpatient cocaine treatment
- Creators
- David Solomon Festinger
- Contributors
- R. J. Lamb (Advisor) - Drexel University, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998)Christine M. Nezu (Advisor) - Drexel University, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998)
- Awarding Institution
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 68 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (1996-1998); Clinical and Health Psychology [Historical]; School of Health Professions (1996-1998)
- Other Identifier
- 991021888867204721