Department of Health and Human Services
	Research, Demonstration, and Evaluation Activities FY 2003 Plan and Budget February 2002

---

RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATIONS

(by HHS Strategic Plan Objective)

REDUCE ALCOHOL ABUSE AND PREVENT UNDER AGE DRINKING (OBJECTIVE 1.4)

FY 2003 Priorities

HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH (NIH)

Research: In FY 2003, NIH funds will be used to expand and strengthen support of alcohol- related health services research activities. FY 2003 priorities include:

Research studies supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will:

• examine the role played by government – as purchaser, provider, and regulator in the provision, delivery, and quality of alcohol treatment services.
• describe and monitor the characteristics of managed care plans for alcohol treatment.
• examine the effects of managed care arrangements on the accessibility, utilization, quality, cost, and outcomes of alcohol treatment services.
• determine the individual-, organizational-, and sociocultural-level factors that affect access to and utilization of alcohol treatment, with emphasis on exploring the interaction of these factors.
• compare the costs of alcohol treatment programs with their outcomes, benefits, and cost offsets.
• screen for, identify, and provide brief interventions to at-risk and other problem drinkers in various medical settings such as primary care offices and emergency care settings.
• examine and increase access to and utilization of alcohol services by women, minorities, and other underserved persons.
• adopt evidence-based scientific findings in clinical practice.

Evaluation: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) plans a full- scale evaluation of the Governor’s Spouses Initiative on Children and Alcohol begun in FY 2002 and continuing into FY 2003. The full-scale evaluation will assess the impact of selected participant activities and the logistical support provided to the participants in the initiative.

NIAAA also plans to evaluate the progress of several aspects of the National Alcohol Research Centers, such as how effectively the Centers are providing long term support for interdisciplinary research that focuses on particular aspects of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, or other alcohol-related difficulties.

1 — Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Knowledge Development and Application priorities are represented in Objective 1.5 and apply broadly to both Objectives 1.4 (alcohol abuse) and 1.5 (abuse and illicit drugs).