TREATMENT SYSTEM SECTION

Drug Evaluation Network System (“DENS”)

The Need:
Although many state governments and federal agencies mandate use of the ASI, many counselors view the mandate as an additional data collection burden, not as a potentially useful clinical tool.

Practical Application:
An electronic, ASI-based assessment system with reporting features expedites and improves administration of the ASI and may encourage counselors to use assessment data in treatment care planning and to monitor performance.

Details:
DENS is an automated version of the ASI that speeds administration of the instrument, reduces common errors in administration and coding through automatic cross-checks, defaults and hints, and creates time-saving client level and aggregate reports. Properly trained clinicians can use reports to assist in treatment care planning and to track changes in client functioning over time; clinic directors and regulators use aggregate reports to track trends in drug usage, monitor program performance and prepare mandated reports to government and elected officials. More on DENS. When combined with an electronic directory of locally available, free- or low-cost supplementary services, the enhanced DENS helps clinicians match services to problem areas identified on client assessments. More on CASPAR: Computer Assisted System for Patient Assessment and Referral.

Funding:
DENS was created by TRI with funding from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

For more information on DENS, contact Meghan Love at MLove@tresearch.org.