of using prizes in drug therapy
Stimulant abusers rewarded with prizes for submitting drug-free urine samples have longer periods of continuous abstinence -- but cost more to treat -- than those in traditional therapy, researchers at the School of Medicine report in the September issue of Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Led by Todd A. Olmstead, associate research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (EPH), the research team analyzed a clinical trial, conducted within the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network, in which 415 stimulant abusers were randomly assigned to traditional therapy or traditional therapy plus prize-based incentives.
Compared to traditional therapy alone, the researchers found, using prize-based incentives to lengthen the duration of continuous abstinence by one week costs an additional $258 per patient.
"Many studies have already shown that prize-based incentives are very effective at improving drug use outcomes among a wide range of substance abusing populations," says Olmstead. "However, one of the reasons we haven't seen greater adoption of these tools in practice is that not much was known about their implementation costs.
"We did the study to shed light on the costs and cost-effectiveness of this potentially important tool. If policymakers believe that $258 is a good price to pay to extend the longest duration of continuous stimulant-abstinence by one week, then we should expect to see more clinics adopting these types of tools," Olmstead adds. "The costs of prize-based incentives appear to be lower than those required to implement voucher-based incentive procedures."
Other authors on the NIDA-funded study include Jody L. Sindelar, professor of public health at EPH, and Nancy M. Petry, professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the designer of the prize-based incentive technique.
-- By Karen Peart
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Medical School receives $57.3 million NIH grant
Medical School receives $11.5 million to improve cancer diagnosis . . .
Museum technicians to show their own artworks at Open Studios
Student designs creative alternative to traditional construction fencing
MORE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE NEWS
Grant supports work predicting outcomes in cancer patients
High testosterone kills nerve cells, says study
Team learns why leptin has powerful effect on appetite
New biomarker predicts survival in colorectal cancer
Proteins shown to have surprising effects on autoimmune disease
Relationship between stress and disease to be explored
Conference looks at literature's power to ease children's fears
Study: Myo1f has key role in mobilizing immune system
Study explores cost-effectiveness of using prizes in drug therapy
Heart studies often don't include kidney patients at high riskLevin, Zedillo discuss the role of UNESCO at Paris event
'Women and Globalization' will be the topic of discussion . . .
Marketing executives and scholars to discuss latest trends
Australia's history and people are focus of film
Exhibit features paintings of England by Venetian artist 'Canaletto'
Lecture will examine the U.N. and 21st-century challenges
Lab talk
Play reading and talk will explore the romantic life of Benjamin Franklin
Tanner Lectures and related discussion to focus on humanities
'Crafting a Life' is the theme of this year's Law School reunions
Student research on early French songs culminates in . . .
Mutual interests
ALL gallery after-party celebrates artists in its newest exhibit and in CWOS
Campus Notes
Yale Books in Brief
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home