Medical Evaluation of African American Women Entering Drug Treatment

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Abstract
This study examined the records of 252 admissions to an inpatient drug rehabilitation program for African American women between July 1989 and July 1991 to determine the prevalence and treatability of the medical conditions found on screening evaluation. All but 0.7% of subjects were on General Relief, Medicare, Medicaid, or had no payment source. The results showed a high prevalence of problems related to life style such as sexually transmitted diseases, anemia, and dental disease. Significant medical illness such as heart disease, abdominal surgical conditions, and breast masses were also found along with a high level of somatic discomfort of a subacute nature. Only 58% of patients referred to specialists kept the initial appointment. These results suggest that medical evaluation of impoverished African American women seeking rehabilitation for addiction may reveal many other health problems but that non-compliance severely limits the effectiveness of treatment. The role of the medical screening evaluation in determining fitness to participate in an inpatient program, detecting undiagnosed medical conditions, and patient education is discussed.

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