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Implicit preadmission screening criteria in an alcoholism treatment program
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|September 1, 1979
Summary
Alcoholism treatment programs may exhibit bias in patient selection. Preadmission screening reveals clinicians favor patients perceived as more "treatable," despite similar characteristics between accepted and rejected individuals.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Clinical Psychology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Alcoholism treatment programs are known to have admission biases.
- Understanding these biases is crucial for equitable healthcare access.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential biases in preadmission screening for alcoholism treatment.
- To identify criteria used by clinicians in patient selection.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of characteristics of accepted versus rejected applicants.
- Examination of clinician criteria for treatment acceptability.
Main Results:
- Accepted and rejected applicants displayed highly similar characteristics.
- Key differences were observed in age (accepted were younger) and referral source.
- Clinicians appeared to assess 'treatability' implicitly.
Conclusions:
- Preadmission screening in alcoholism treatment may be influenced by implicit biases.
- Perceived 'treatability' is a significant factor in patient selection.
- Further research is needed to address and mitigate these biases for fairer access to care.