Patient experiences with substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services in Belgium

Background

Patient-centered treatment and care is one of the key quality standards in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services. Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) are standardized questionnaires that measure objective patient experiences related to practical aspects of care, such as accessibility, coordination and continuity of care, and patient-provider communication. They allow us to systematically and effectively collect direct feedback from patients on how they perceive quality of care.

Methods

We set up a naturalistic longitudinal multicentric study in various SUD treatment modalities in Belgium: the OMER-BE study (Outcome Measurement and Evaluation as a Routine practice in alcohol and other drug services in Belgium). N=189 participants completed the OMER-BE baseline assessment, providing insight into the demographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbidity, treatment history, and substance use of people starting treatment for SUD. The PREMAT (Patient-Reported Experience Measure in Addiction Treatment), a 23-item PREM developed to assess the experiences of people in SUD treatment, was assessed at 45, 90, and 180 days after baseline assessment.

Additionally, we performed in-depth interviews in a subsample of N=20 participants, exploring their experiences with SUD treatment and the role of treatment in their recovery journeys.

Results

82.5% of participants were male, and average age was 35.5. 81.5% had received previous treatment for SUD and 19.6% was treated with opioid agonist therapy. Alcohol and cocaine were the most commonly used substances, and PTSD was the most prevalent psychiatric comorbidity. On average, PREMAT items related to program structure scored high, indicating a more positive experience, and the lowest scores were observed for items related to coordination of care.

Preliminary results of the evolution in PREM scores over the course of the follow-up assessments as well as insights gained from the in-depth interviews will be presented.

Conclusions

Treatment experiences in SUD services in Belgium were assessed through routine measurement of a PREM and through qualitative assessments, providing insight into the impact of SUD treatment on recovery and possible targets for service improvement.