Assessing substance abuse treatment needs among the homeless: a telephone-based interactive voice response system.

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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We report on a pilot project that used a telephone-based interactive voice response system accessed by cellular phones at diverse sites, to interview homeless persons on their need for alcohol and other drug treatment. METHODS: Using this technique we surveyed 207 homeless adults at eight shelters in Cleveland, Ohio. RESULTS: The cellular approach was comparable to human-administered interviews in reliability and validity and yielded higher self-reported levels of drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Cellular telephones and interactive voice response interviewing systems can be useful tools in assessing for the health-service needs of difficult-to-reach populations.