Over the past 15 years, scientific knowledge has increased substantially regarding the use of effective, evidence-based therapies for treating people with substance use conditions. However, as is true of other areas in healthcare, the increase in scientific knowledge has not been accompanied by the consistent implementation of proven methods of treatment.
The National Quality Forum, with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, undertook a project to develop consensus on a set of fully specified, evidence-based practices to treat substance use conditions.
Eleven practices were endorsed as voluntary consensus standards. The practices fall into four domains of identification of substance use conditions, initiation and engagement in treatment, therapeutic interventions to treat substance use illness, and continuing care management of substance use illness.
To read the executive summary including practice specifications, visit:
http://www.qualityforum.org/pdf/reports/sud/sudexesummary.pdf (PDF, 1.26 MB)
To order the complete report, visit:
Boston University School of Public Health 
