Journal of substance abuse treatment
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Jan 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialOutpatient versus inpatient opioid detoxification: a randomized controlled trial.
Opioid detoxification is not an effective stand-alone treatment for heroin dependence but is nevertheless an essential step in the path to recovery. There has been relatively little previous controlled research on the impact of treatment setting on the likelihood of successful completion of detoxification. In this study, 68 opioid-dependent patients receiving community treatment (predominantly with methadone) and requesting detoxification were randomly assigned to an inpatient versus outpatient setting. ⋯ Only 11 (16%) participants were opioid-free at the 1-month follow-up and 8 at the 6-month follow-up, with no between-group difference. Inpatient and outpatient opioid detoxification settings were not significantly different in completion or follow-up abstinence rates, but aspects of the study design may have favored the outpatient setting. Future studies should test patient characteristics that predict better outcomes in each setting.