Among the most difficult patients to maintain in contiguous care are those who are enmeshed with substance abuse, are mentally ill, or both. Covering their care from intake and detox into residential rehabilitation and eventual release as an outpatient is the work of years. For this reason, and the often complex needs for care, clinics need to investigate HIPAA-compliant substance abuse treatment software so that care teams can coordinate their services. HIPAA protects patient privacy, and dealing with substance abuse is still a matter of societal shaming in many quarters – along with a good clinical outcome, patient privacy and protection needs to top the list when evaluating clinical software.
Rehabilitation is Complex
Addiction is a brain disease, an illness just like Bipolar Disorder, or a chronic medical condition like diabetes. Chronic conditions can have periods of remission, and the point of contiguous care is to make sure that such conditions remain so. The initial assessment may reveal that comorbid to addiction there may be untreated psychological or neuropsychiatric disorders and untreated medical conditions related to long term substance abuse. For this reason, managing a patient’s care can be a complex and extremely fine-tuned delivery. Coordinating medication, treatment, and therapy requires case management above and beyond what might be offered in a medical practice or talk therapy standalone practice.
Take Time and Evaluate
Picking the wrong substance abuse treatment software is a waste of resources, and could cause you to deliver substandard care. The right software gets everyone on the same page without having to rely on a disordered patient’s memory and record keeping skills. Caregivers might a better help, but the right software will help you coordinate care within and outside of your practice.
