Improving Retention In Opioid Treatment

Problematic substance use significantly contributes to morbid ity and mortality and affects individuals and communities system -atically. Indeed, responses to such issues require a multidimen sional, evidence informed approach. Medical, psychological and social responses have been identified as those with most effica cies within the literature. Illicit opiate use brings with it perhaps a more severe symptomatology when we consider the physiological phenomenon. Therefore, treatment needs to be multi-dimensional with both psychosocial and medical interventions. However, treat ment attrition rates are very high with this cohort of people. Ap proaches to identify those at risk of dropout and poor outcomes have been established within the wider psychiatric and psycholog ical domains. Client feedback entails soliciting data on outcome and process of care and utilising the information to adapt and tai lor service deliver on a session to session (unit of care) basis. The present review paper seeks to build on previous research by extending these methods to the treatment of opioids in an Irish context.