First established 30 years ago and regularly refined ever since, ASAM CONTINUUM has become a powerful tool for helping clinicians thoroughly assess patients with addictive, substance-related, and co-occurring conditions. ClinicTracker is proud to be the first EHR to integrate with ASAM CONTINUUM, enabling clinicians to produce an accurate ASAM Criteria dimensional assessment and level of care recommendation faster.
Where ASAM CONTINUUM Fits into the Clinical Assessment
ASAM CONTINUUM guides clinicians through a structured interview that serves as a comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation of a patient’s risks and needs. The multi-dimensional assessment is based on ASAM Criteria, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the patient (in the present and beyond), and calculates the optimal level of care for the patient based on the findings.
While the use of ASAM CONTINUUM is required in the state of Arizona, it’s endorsed by a majority of states as an objective-based, computer-guided assessment. Questions are laid out in a conversational tone to further minimize barriers between patient and clinician, while the assessment itself is easy enough for clinicians of all experience levels to conduct and provide plans for recommended care.
The Impact of ASAM CONTINUUM
Of the quarter-million assessments performed by 6,000 counselors across the U.S., research shows the use of ASAM CONTINUUM has increased initial patient engagement and follow-through, driven better outcomes, and, as one study showed, decreased the number of days hospital beds were utilized.
Dr. David Gastfriend, an addiction psychiatrist and chief architect for the ASAM CONTINUUM program, spoke to these benefits from a patient standpoint in a recent joint webinar.
“Patients frequently say ‘wow, I’m tired. That’s the most in-depth, longest, probing interview that anyone has even done when I’ve entered treatment.’ And then they say, ‘It’s the best interview that’s been done of me.’ Patients know they’ve been thoroughly assessed.”
The Value of Integrating ASAM CONTINUUM with ClinicTracker
In a world where clinics are under pressure to deliver better care to patients faster, the integration between ASAM CONTINUUM and ClinicTracker supports these initiatives.
Through a single sign-on into ClinicTracker, clinicians can conveniently click a button to run CONTINUUM, follow and fill in the answers to each interview question, and then at the end of the interview (which can take about 60 minutes for the average patient), get instant reports that generate the level of care that should be recommended. The data in these reports is stored and can be referenced in post-rehab check-ins and other patient follow-ups for a more consistent experience throughout.
As part of this integration, ClinicTracker users can also access ASAM Co-Triage — a computer-guided interview tool used to figure out the best place to send a patient to have their full assessment completed. The questions in this quick interview are drawn directly from CONTINUUM, with all the patient’s answers stored in ASAM's central database and populated in the CONTINUUM system for a continuous patient experience.
In the webinar, Dr. Gastfriend expressed his appreciation for the integration between ClinicTracker and ASAM CONTINUUM and the positive impact it will have on behavioral healthcare.
“I want to thank ClinicTracker for its vision and for being a leader in the field and investing in integrating this directly into your EHR system.”
Interested to learn more about the integration? Tune into the full webinar with Dr. Gastfriend.
