Instruments & Measures
Use these tools to measure costs, health-related quality-of-life, and resource utilization associated with substance use disorder interventions.
Costing Assessments
These tools collect the costs of substance use treatment services from treatment programs and clients.
Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP)
Organizes program cost data across standard categories of resources (e.g. personnel, buildings and facilities, supplies and materials, and miscellaneous). This tool can estimate the total annual program cost and average annual cost per client for a variety of treatment interventions, workplace programs, and other behavioral health programs. The DATCAP family of instruments also includes the Brief DATCAP, Client DATCAP, and Caretaker DATCAP.
Client DATCAP
The Client DATCAP estimates the costs of attending treatment from the client or patient perspective exclusively. Client DATCAP comes in both outpatient and inpatient versions.
Caretaker DATCAP
The Caretaker DATCAP collects information from parents or other caregivers about the costs they incur to support their child attending treatment for substance use disorder. Caretaker DATCAP is available in English and Spanish.
Substance Abuse Services Cost Analysis Program (SASCAP)
Uses program data to estimate service-level costs. This tool is applicable for estimating the costs of unique services delivered through a substance use disorder program or agency including initial patient assessment and treatment planning, initial medical services, counseling, ongoing medical services, case management, quality assurance, and methadone dosing.
Calculating Preference or Utility Weights
The following tools are generic Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) instruments that generate a global preference/utility score, which can be used to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).
EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D)
The EQ-5D measures a participant’s HRQoL at a given point in time across the following domains: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. The EQ-5D also includes a visual analog scale, which asks participants to rate their overall health using a scale of 0-100.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Preference Score (PROPr)
The PROPr measures a participant’s HRQoL at a given point in time across the following PROMIS domains: cognitive function abilities, depression, anxiety, fatigue, pain interference, pain intensity, physical function, sleep disturbance, and ability to participate in social roles and activities.
Recovering Quality of Life Questionnaire (ReQoL)
The ReQoL measures a participant’s HRQoL at a given point in time across the following domains: activity, hope, belonging and relationships, self-perception, wellbeing, autonomy, and physical health.
Short Form 6D® (SF-6D®)
The SF-6D® measures a participant’s HRQoL at a given point in time across the following dimensions by mapping responses provided via the SF-12, SF-36, or SF-36v2: physical functioning, role limitation, social functioning, bodily pain, mental health, and vitality.
Individual-level Instruments with Economic Measures
These tools collect information from individuals who use substances including their substance use, mental and physical health, use of healthcare and social services, and criminal-legal system involvement.
Addiction Severity Index (ASI)
The ASI is a semi-structured interview designed to address seven potential problem areas in individuals with a substance use disorder: medical status, employment and support, drug use, alcohol use, legal status, family/social status, and psychiatric status.
Economic Form 90
Measures changes from baseline on key economic outcomes following treatment for alcohol use disorder.
Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN)
Collects individual-level information on the utilization of substance use disorder, mental health, physical health, community, and social services, as well as criminal justice resources.
Non-Study Medical and Other Services (NMOS)
Collects individual-level data on substance use disorder, mental health, and physical health services received outside of the study-specific treatment setting. The tool can be adapted to the needs of different study interventions and populations.