Web-based Client-Server Alcohol & Drug Abuse Assessment

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The overall goal of this Phase II project is to extend and refine the web- based client-server software system ("JavaSCAN [TM]"), which was successfully created and shown feasible in Phase I. As planned, the system was implemented using a Java client and a web database server, and Sections 11 ("Use of Alcohol") and 12 ("Use of Psychoactive Substances other than Alcohol") from the World Health Organization (WHO) Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN version 2.1) were used as the basis for semi-structured standardized clinical assessment of alcohol and other drug use, abuse, and dependence. Phase II efforts address identified market needs. Based upon Phase I experiences, additional functionality is planned to create a useful product for the substance abuse and dependence research markets, including clinical trials. Two important areas in which this software system can serve are (1) assessment (data collection process) and (2) research administration (project management). Assessment functions address: study of co-morbidity, enhanced temporal measurement, established psychometrics, and diagnostic classification. Research administration functions address: organizing research centers, projects, staff, and subjects; and multi-center distribution and management of the assessment process and data management. To meet these needs, Phase II Aims are: (1) addition of other SCAN sections to support studies of co-morbidity; (2) extension of the data model and interface to support enhanced temporal measurement; (3) study of psychometric performance; (4) integration of automated diagnostic classification functions; and (5) implementation of functions and user interfaces for project and data management across multiple sites. Field testing will be carried out at Washington University in St. Louis. The proposed system has potential to lead to further (Phase III and beyond) innovations in alcohol, drug, and mental health research and services by fostering efficient standardization of assessment, thus helping create centralized and pooled clinical databases. Such databases would in turn provide a basis for further research and technical developments, such as scientific management and optimization of assessment and decision-making, or in linking community activities and university research. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Commercial potential is present in all areas related to systematic assessment and ascertainment of alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, including epidemiology and services research, education, managed care, and industry.