Planning Alcoholism Services: A Technique for Projecting Specific Service Needs

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Abstract
In response to an increasing emphasis on health services planning, a technique for projecting in-residence and outpatient alcoholism treatment and rehabilitation needs has been developed. This technique relies on services data from 34 comprehensive alcoholism treatment programs, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. For in-residence services, the methodology involves an analysis of the use of available in-residence services such that it is possible to determine how many beds of a given service type are needed to serve those admitted to the treatment system. Because all who come in contact with the system do not need or receive services, it is possible to calculate how many beds of a given service type are needed to serve each person coming in contact with the system. This is called the beds per contact. The product of the beds per contact times the number in the identified target population is the number of beds of a given type needed to serve the target population. A similar methodology is used to project outpatient service needs. The assumptions underlying this technique, and its advantages and disadvantages, are discussed.

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