Drug Users Involved in Treatment Decisions

In England and Scotland the government has policies in place that state that those with drug abuse issues should be involved in the decision making regarding their own treatment options. A study at Glasgow University researched user involvement, what involvement the user should have and how to improve this system.

• This involvement is defined differently to different people. For some it gives the user the freedom to communicate with staff, for others it can mean treatment with informed consent. These programs can have staff focusing on the right of the user to help with treatment decisions and more.
• In the beginning of the research showed that users had little interest in self led treatment. They were quick to defer to the professionals for what paths were best to take. After a period of three months most of the users were still very happy to defer to staff for decisions but some were excited about having a say in their own drug treatment decisions.
• When users were part of the "drug treatment team" there was less conflict between the user and all staff. Most tension arose in residential treatment centers where the rules and expectations were rigid. This could lead to users leaving programs early both in the community and residential treatment centers.
• Many doctors and staff were very much on board with letting users have a voice in the treatment options but because of limited resources, strict agency criteria, time consuming administrative procedures and requirements all inhibited this process.
• Key elements were found to be helpful in user led treatment. The user should not feel rushed to make decisions and they should get thorough information on treatment options and expectations. The user should have the right to ask as many questions as they like and they should be made to feel safe and secure. The success of these programs lies in the willingness for user and staff to communicate and respect one another in the process.