Research Findings - Research in the Clinical Trials Network (CTN)

Two large-scale clinical trials, CTN 0006 - Motivational Incentives for Enhanced Drug Abuse Recovery: Drug Free Clinics and CTN 0007 - Motivational Incentives for Enhanced Drug Abuse Recovery: Methadone Clinics, were conducted in the CTN in Community-based Treatment Programs and completed in 2004. The studies replicated prior small-scale research studies conducted in university-affiliated clinics. These studies, carried out in both methadone programs and psychosocial counseling treatment programs, demonstrated that incentive-based interventions using tangible incentives (vouchers that can be exchanged for retail good or onsite-prizes) that can be earned upon submission of drug-free urine samples, are highly efficacious in increasing treatment retention and promoting abstinence from drugs. These results suggest that incentive programs are effective and should be more widely utilized at community clinics in order to improve the outcome of drug abuse treatment.

CTN 0011 A Feasibility Study of a Telephone Enhancement Procedure (TELE) to Improve Participation in Continuing Care Activities - This study was a CTN multi-site clinical trial to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of telephone calls to support compliance with discharge plans from short-term inpatient treatment facilities. The results of the pilot study attest to the feasibility of this intervention, which was initially developed and implemented at the Betty Ford Center in Community-based Treatment Programs, as well as to a positive effect of the intervention based on subjects' attendance in community outpatient programs to which they were referred and drug abstinence at follow-up.