According to a study from Wacol, Australia, 'In this pilot study, we compared teams in rural North Carolina (NC) and urban Massachusetts (MA) to examine the how sites vary the implementation of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model to respond to state and local circumstances.'
'We analysed and compared data on: client characteristics using the NC-TOPPS and a modified survey in MA; Regional Demographics and; Team Characteristics. Issues such as driving distances, lack of qualified clinical staff, scarcity of physicians, and more limited oversight created impediments to fidelity in rural NC, despite higher per patient funding,' wrote D. Siskind and colleagues, University of Queensland (see also Mental Health).
The researchers concluded: 'ACT is now national, but variability in implementation of the model remains.'
Siskind and colleagues published their study in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research (Comparison of Assertive Community Treatment Programs in Urban Massachusetts and Rural North Carolina. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 2009;36(4):236-246).
For more information, contact D. Siskind, University of Queensland, Queensland Center Mental Health Research, Level 3 Dawson House, Pk, Wacol, Qld 4076, Australia.
Publisher contact information for the journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research is: Maik Nauka, Interperiodica, Springer, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013-1578, USA.
Keywords: Australia, Wacol, Clinical Trial Research, Mental Health, University of Queensland.
This article was prepared by Biotech Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Biotech Week via NewsRx.com.
