NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American
Addiction Centers (AAC) is breaking new ground in addiction
treatment with the release of its first patient outcome studies.
AAC is joining the ranks of only a handful of national treatment
centers to measure outcomes and publicly share the findings.
Utilizing three years of tracking and research, with the assistance
of Centerstone Research Institute (CRI), the studies analyzed how
treatment at AAC facilities impacted the lives of patients. Results
indicate that 63 percent of AAC patients maintain abstinence one
year after treatment, as compared to national benchmarks of 30
percent.
"The treatment industry hasn't done a good job of proving that
treatment really works," says Michael
Cartwright, CEO, American Addiction Centers. "That's why we
felt it was critical for American Addiction Centers, as a leader in
the industry, to invest in patient outcome studies. Our findings
show our treatment model is making a difference in the lives of our
patients, even months after treatment ends. We are also using this
new data to improve our services as part of our ongoing commitment
to clinical excellence."
CRI enrolled more than 4,000 patients as part of the main study.
They were tracked from intake to discharge and then at two, six,
and 12 months. The researchers looked at several outcome measures,
including substance use, co-occurring medical problems, mental
health challenges, family problems, and employment and legal
issues.
"Addiction is a chronic disease that affects every aspect of a
person's life, from family functioning to mental and physical
health," says Dr. Tom Doub, AAC's
Chief Clinical and Compliance Officer. "We wanted to analyze those
aspects as well in determining the effectiveness of our treatment
model. It turns out our comprehensive approach made a significant
difference in patients' overall quality of life."
Some key findings from the 12-month follow up substudy
include:
- At 12 months, 63% of patients were abstinent from all
substances.
- Days of alcohol use, which was the most reported issue,
decreased by 80% 12 months after completing treatment
- Days of heroin use decreased by 88%
- Total days with significant family conflict decreased by
87%
- Days experiencing physical health problems decreased by
44%
- Days with mental health problems, like depression or anxiety,
decreased 56%
"At AAC, our mission is to transform lives," says Doub. "One of
the major barriers to families seeking help is lack of confidence
in treatment outcomes. These studies clearly demonstrate that
treatment works. Not only does it work to reduce substance use, but
it also has significant benefits across many important areas of
life."
AAC already has plans for phase two of the study. The goal is to
expand on the initial study and to also analyze the impact that
treatment makes on reducing other healthcare costs such as
emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
"Our ultimate goal is to revolutionize the treatment of
addiction so we can save more lives," says Cartwright. "We won't
stop until we get there. This is one giant step towards helping us
achieve our vision."
To learn more about the studies, visit
americanaddictioncenters.org/outcomes-study/
About American Addiction Centers
American Addiction
Centers (NYSE: AAC) is a leading provider of inpatient and
outpatient substance abuse treatment services. We treat clients who
are struggling with drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and
co-occurring mental/behavioral health issues. We currently operate
substance abuse treatment facilities located throughout
the United States. These
facilities are focused on delivering effective clinical care and
treatment solutions. For more information, please find us at
AmericanAddictionCenters.org or follow us on Twitter
@AAC_Tweet.
Media
Contact:
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Joy
Sutton
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(615)
587-7728
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JSutton@ContactAAC.com
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SOURCE American Addiction Centers