Buy stock in American Addiction Centers and ignore the patient deaths

[MillCreek]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/american-addiction-centers-publicly-traded-rehab/

I have had some exposure to substance use disorder treatment via my work, and in my opinion, the whole field suffers from a lack of evidence-based treatment, inconsistent definitions of 'success' and it does not seem to be a good value for money. I know of patients who have cycled in and out of rehab several times and it seems that only a minority of them achieve long-term good results.

[HeroHog]

It's called an Addiction. It is NEVER completely gone and takes "maintenance" to keep it at bay. AA works better IF you use the resources it has given you (sponsors, fellow addicts who have "been there").

[dogmush]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/04/american-addiction-centers-publicly-traded-rehab/

I have had some exposure to substance use disorder treatment via my work, and in my opinion, the whole field suffers from a lack of evidence-based treatment, inconsistent definitions of 'success' and it does not seem to be a good value for money. I know of patients who have cycled in and out of rehab several times and it seems that only a minority of them achieve long-term good results.

That would seem to be OK from a shareholder perspective.  Lots of repeat business.

[Jamisjockey]

That would seem to be OK from a shareholder perspective.  Lots of repeat business.

That's the entire medical industry model.
The focus is sick care, not health care.

[BobR]

That's the entire medical industry model.
The focus is sick care, not health care.

You are so right but the organization where I work is trying to do something different. We are looking at our patients with repeat admits for a few specific diseases and are developing clinics, getting them into specialized and more frequent care for their disease and hopefully make their lives a little better and keep them out of the hospital and alive a little longer. It is an uphill battle but hopefully it shows results.

bob

[MillCreek]

^^^I would also add that for opiate use disorder, the condition I encounter most frequently at work, MAT (medication assisted treatment) with Suboxone, methadone or Vivitrol is showing real promise.  Some of the other drugs, like methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, and alcohol, not so much in terms of a successful medical therapy. Although Europe in particular is doing some interesting work on medication assisted treatment for alcoholism.

[230RN]

That's the entire medical industry model.
The focus is sick care, not health care.

Reminds me of the so-called "Chinese Model" of health care.  You pay your doctor until you get sick.  Then you stop paying him until he gets you well again.

I was heavily addicted to alcohol and cigarettes and it does take balls to break away from them (not that those are "hard drug" addiictions) on a long term basis.

I quit alcohol in 1993 and I have absolutely zero impulse to imbibe any more, although for a couple of years after that if I drove by a liquor store on a Saturday, I'd instantly think about if I had enough booze at home to get through Sunday. Other situations also triggered that kind of thing.  That's where having the balls comes in.  (At the time, sale  of liquor on Sundays was forbidden.)

I quit smoking in September of 2017 and I still get occasional pangs of desire for a cigarette.  That's where having the balls comes in.  That is also diminishing slowly as time goes on.

Now, of course, as I said, these are not "hard drugs" but if that decay function pattern holds for hard drugs, it looks like the main factor is having the balls to let time do its work.

Terry, 230RN