Briefly Noted

A project that began a year ago (see ADAW, Jan. 15, 2018), Shatterproof's rating system of addiction treatment programs took another step last month when the nonprofit announced it would start out with a pilot, now that it has $5 million. Saying the current addiction treatment system is broken, Shatterproof founder and CEO Gary Mendell said the project was made possible by funding from two foundations (the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and a coalition of five insurance companies. “People who need help for addiction don't know what to look for or where to turn,” said Sam Arsenault, director of national treatment quality initiatives at Shatterproof, in the Dec. 18 announcement of the project. “We are taking rating system best practices from health care and other business sectors and applying them to addiction treatment. This will not only provide critical information to individuals looking for care but also drive a long overdue transformation of the addiction treatment industry.” The Shatterproof Rating System will utilize data from three sources: insurance claims, provider surveys and consumer experience, with collaboration from the National Quality Forum (NQF), a membership organization composed of payers. Initially, the program will begin with a pilot, with analysis done by RTI International. “Consumers can find information and accurate data on the quality of nursing homes, hospitals, physicians and most other types of providers,” said Tami Mark, director of behavioral health financing and quality measurement at RTI International. “It's time that patients have reliable information on addiction treatment.”