Changing pattern of drug use in individuals with severe drug dependence following inpatient treatment.

Ninety-seven subjects (92 of whom were opiate users) admitted to an inpatient treatment unit were followed 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after discharge using the Substance Abuse Assessment Questionnaire (SAAQ).(1) The subjects presented problems of severe drug use, frequently complicated by additional difficulties; 67% of the sample completed detoxification. Significant reductions in daily drug use were seen at 12 months for each major class of drug, except cannabis. One-third of daily opiate users had been abstinent from opiates for at least one month prior to the final follow-up. Most changes took place between admission and the 3-month follow-up, and these improvements were maintained across the sample as a whole. Within the sample, fluctuations in drug use were observed, with subjects both relapsing to, and remitting from, drug use. Subjects who achieved at least one 3-month period of abstinence were more likely to have been employed at admission, and also more likely to have committed an offence immediately prior to admission, than those who did not achieve this level of abstinence. These results suggest that detoxification programmes produce benefits which can be maintained in the medium term. Further longitudinal studies are required to investigate the triggers for both relapse and remission.

Meeting mental health needs of ethnic minority groups.

The TULIP Outreach Service uses a team approach model to provide community support to people with long-term mental health problems. It was primarily set up to reach people falling through the net of mainstream services, that is, homeless or potentially homeless people and those from minority ethnic groups. This paper describes how the team approach works in practice. It also gives the preliminary results of an evaluation showing the team's success in targeting and supporting these clients.

The role of quality assurance in computer inspections.

Changing technology affords the Quality Assurance auditor with the challenge of applying computer validation concepts to a variety of computer system types. In addition, these technology changes have caused the developers role to change as well. In an innovative research facility, the developer may include an in-house professional group, a vendor, or an end-user. With these issues in mind, the QA auditor needs a tool to accomplish the task of inspecting systems as they are being created. The prospective inspection process is the tool for accomplishing this task. This inspection involves the QA auditor's involvement in the development of a new system, as a member of the development team, from the initial creation through the implementation of the computer system. This presentation will focus on illustrating the steps in conducting the prospective inspection process, from expected deliverables and document reviews to final report and management notification. The benefits of QA involvement in the development process will also be discussed.