Classes of outpatient quality of care among individuals with substance-related disorders, based on a survey and health insurance registry.

Objectives: Improving quality of care for individuals with substance-related disorders (SRD) should be a priority considering SRD are associated with high morbidity. This study aimed to identify classes of individuals with SRD based on their clinical characteristics and the quality of outpatient care they received, and to verify whether better quality of care was associated with other respondent characteristics and more favorable subsequent outcomes.

Methods: Data came from the 2023-14 and 2015-16 Canadian Community Health Survey (N = 42,099), merged with administrative data from Quebec's health insurance registry. Investigating a cohort of 1473 individuals with SRD, we conducted Latent class analysis based on the respondents' diagnoses and outpatient quality of care indicators such as access, diversity, continuity and regularity of care received in the 12 months preceding interview. Chi-Square, Fisher's exact tests or t-tests, and logistic regression associate classes with sociodemographic and health behavior (e.g., suicidal behaviors) correlates, and outcomes (repeated emergency department use, hospitalization, quality of life) over the three months following interview, respectively.

Results: The study identified four classes: (1) Individuals with polysubstance-related disorders and other health disorders, receiving high diversity and moderate regularity of care (6 % of sample); (2) Individuals with alcohol-related disorders, receiving low quality of care (41 %); (3) Individuals with drug-related disorders, receiving high overall quality of care (9 %); and (4) Individuals with alcohol-related disorders, receiving high continuity of family doctor care (44 %). Classes 2 and 4 showed better social conditions (e.g., higher education), health behaviors, and subsequent outcomes than Classes 1 and 3, despite receiving lower quality of care - especially mental healthcare.

Conclusion: Study outcomes related more to health and social conditions than to the quality of outpatient care received, especially as outpatient care alone might not meet needs of Classes 1 and 3 individuals having important health and social issues, unmet care needs and worse outcomes. Results suggest that interventions like assertive community treatment or intensive case management with integrated SRD-mental health disorders treatment could better respond to the needs of Classes 1 and 3. Overall, enhanced care, including peer support, might benefit all individuals with SRD.