What is the DENS Software?

            DENS programs are supplied with a laptop computer and ASI software packages to collect the data and transfer information to our central server.   The information and the software reports were designed to replace as much of the program's current intake package as possible, thus eliminating work.  Public domain DENS software was provided to transform the ASI data into a four-page clinical narrative suitable for use as an admission summary, and as a guide to initial treatment planning for each patient.  With integration and summary comments from the interviewer, this narrative has met the requirements for admission assessment by the JCAHO.  The data collection and all support programs are written in the widely used Visual Basic language.

            To make the clinical information as timely and responsive as possible, we designed the data transfer to be as easy as saving a word processing document.  The data collected throughout the week is currently sent via pre-programmed modem to the TRI central server in approximately 4 minutes.  If there are questions during the data transfer process, there is a toll free number for technical support.  Information is stored centrally using Sequel Server software - selected for its wide use across many platforms.

            All programs have complete access to their own database and partial access to the aggregate national data system, to permit comparisons between local and national trends.  Each treatment program is given quarterly reports - written in the widely used Excel format - comparing their site-specific data to the entire DENS database.  Program administrative
staff have placed a high value on these reports which they have used to justify funding, meet accreditation standards, and reallocate staff.

            The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is the primary source of patient information in the DENS software.  The ASI includes information on the nature, number, and severity of drug and alcohol problems - but also characterizes the severity of patients' medical, family, legal, employment, and psychiatric problems.  Our decision to use the ASI followed more than 20 years of replicated reliability, validity, and utility evaluation of the instrument with a very wide range of substance abusers.  Additionally, the ASI is already the major admission/evaluation instrument in use among US substance abuse treatment programs.  Because of its prevalence, clinical utility, ability to measure outcomes, its proven reliability and validity, and that it is in the public domain with a system for training users - it was selected as the core for the DENS patient information.

            At the same time, the ASI alone could not provide adequate policy-relevant information on changing and highly specific questions that face those in the policy arena.  We thus made provision for inserting 40 new questions of any type (e.g. questions regarding new drugs, public health risks, welfare or crime issues, marijuana legalization, associated problems, etc.).  These questions can be inserted directly from our central server to the remote laptops - and removed or changed in the same way thus allowing collection of specific information in a rapid time frame.