What motivates people with substance use disorders to pursue treatment? A patient-centered approach to understanding patient experiences and patient-provider interactions

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To identify and define potential positive and negative factors in patient experiences and patient-provider interactions that are associated with the pursuit and maintenance of treatment by those suffering from substance use disorders (SUD).

Methods: Two focus groups with patients in treatment for SUD were performed. The focus groups focused on questions aimed at mapping factors associated with initiating and maintaining treatment along the transtheoretical model of change. Four in-depth interviews with healthcare providers involved in the treatment of patients with SUD were also conducted to understand providers’ perspective on similar factors.

Results: Fourteen patients were included in the focus groups. Patients identified their life prior to treatment as chaotic and further identified internal and external factors that influenced seeking treatment. The four healthcare providers identified primarily social issues such as lack of housing as an external barrier. Both patients and providers cited the importance of a trusting and empathetic relationship between the patient and providers, as well as the patient’s willingness to change as primary motivating factors for the initiation and maintenance of treatment.

Conclusions: From a patient and provider perspective, facilitators and barriers for initiating and maintaining may vary by person and are multifactorial.

KEYWORDS:

• Motivational factors
• initiating treatment
• maintaining treatment
• substance use disorder
• qualitative

Acknowledgments

This project was supported by grant number R24HS022135 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

Declaration of Interest: none

Ms. Gressler, Dr. Natafgi, Dr. DeForge, Ms. Robinson-Shaneman, Dr. Welsh, and Dr. Shaya declare that they have no conflicts of interest. This study involved human participants. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This study was approved by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are not available. The data are not publicly due to IRB restrictions. Data may contain information that could compromise the privacy of the research participants.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by grant number R24HS022135 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The funding source had no role in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication;Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [R24HS022135].