Measurements for outcomes reporting are not fully formed and utilized in the American addiction industry, though formulated and adopted elsewhere in the world. While studies have established demographic information about those needing and receiving treatment as well as the facilities that offer such treatment, short- and long-term outcomes are scantily reported. This commentary serves as a call to action to developing such metrics in the US by illustrating the benefits to treatment providers and clients of creating outcomes standards, and the subsequent improvements in quality of care needed to reach those standards. Benefits of developing these metrics beyond improved quality of care may also include a more efficient allocation of resources, such as time and money. Additionally, the delivery of more effective, personalized, and outcomes-driven addiction treatment may increase client buy-in and foster a more open communication channel between clients and providers during and after treatment.

Objective. The primary objective of this investigation is to determine which individual and aggregate factors of residential addiction treatment centers are most significant influencers of alumni satisfaction. Design. Survey targeted alumni of residential addiction treatment facilities. Alumni were queried through a survey, which utilized Likert-scale matrices and binary response options: 379 respondents met the completion threshold. Alumni rated amenities and individual and group counseling factors; additionally, respondents provided feedback on two satisfaction proxies: cost worthiness and future recommendations. Descriptive and relational analyses were conducted, with the latter utilizing logistic regression models. Results. Individual factors' scores of group counseling, and overall aggregate group counseling score, are most enthusiastically positive. Group counseling is also the most significant influencer of satisfaction. Other significant influencers of satisfaction are met expectations for individual counseling and psychiatric care offerings. Conclusions. While individual counseling and facility amenities should not be ignored, group counseling may be the most significant influencer of alumni satisfaction. Long-term outcomes are not single-faceted; however, treatment providers should be encouraged to invest in high-quality group counseling offerings in order to best satisfy, and thereby empower, clients.

Objective: The primary objective of this investigation is to determine if alumni prioritize aspects of addiction treatment in facility performance reviews differently than loved ones (i.e. friends and/or family) of treatment alumni.Design: Alumni of addiction treatment facilities and friends and/or family members of alumni were queried through an online survey, which contained open-ended questions asking the respondents to identify their respective facility's strengths and weaknesses. Text analysis using correspondence analysis and quantitative modeling, using multinomial logistic regression and adjusted probabilities estimation, were used to identify whether distinct response patterns exist for each respondent type. Results:The outputs from multiple models suggest that there exist distinct response patterns between alumni and friends and/or family of alumni. Specifically, the results suggest that alumni are more likely to prioritize internal aspects of treatment (e.g. counseling offerings, peers, staff), while friends and/or family members will prioritize external aspects of treatment (e.g. administrative policies, family involvement, prices). Both respondent types also prioritize certain aspects (e.g. amenities and offerings) to similar degrees. Conclusions:These results suggest the importance of facilities offering well-rounded treatment offerings that address the concerns of all those involved in the treatment process. Doing such can increase treatment buy-in and satisfaction with services received, which can positively impact treatment outcomes. Recommendations for future research are also suggested.