Is the Danish Version of MATE Feasible? A Pilot Study on Feasibility and Adequacy

Assessment is pivotal to the work of health care professionals and social workers, as it provides fundamental, systematic information that is essential when planning interventions. Many patients have addiction problems as well as psychiatric illness and they very often interact. An assessment tool addressing both areas would be beneficial for this large group of patients. This pilot study explores feasibility and adequacy of the Danish translation of the Measurements in Addiction for Triage and Evaluation (MATE) assessment in the following sectors: drug and alcohol treatment, psychiatry, and social service.

Thirty staff members from psychiatric hospital, social services, and treatment institutions for alcohol and substance abuse were recruited. Staff that had direct contact with clients were planned to perform at least two MATE interviews.

Nineteen interviews were completed. Information gathered from MATE was reported to be adequate for making a triage decision, but psychiatric staff reported that MATE gathered too much irrelevant information, especially concerning daily life functioning. Overall feasibility was satisfactory, but staff and patients were at some points critical of wording, casting doubt on the understanding of some questions.

This pilot study found that MATE gathers relevant and sufficient information in an appropriate amount of time.