The Polish drug treatment system patients’ needs from users’ and providers’ perspective

Introduction
The present article discusses the adequacy of the Polish drug treatment system in terms of catering to the needs of drug dependent patients – from the most basic to those that enhance general wellbeing and hence the chances for therapeutic success.

Material and methods
Separate focus group interviews (FGI) were performed with patients and therapists in six outpatient and inpatient drug treatment institutions. In total, 76 persons took part in the twelve FGI: 30 therapists and 46 patients. A CAQDA (Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis) was performed on collected data.

Results
The needs related directly to the therapeutic process are met to a generally satisfactory extent. Patients of inpatient treatment report the need of learning more about addiction and its mechanisms; they also have unmet needs of being in contact with their families. The outpatient treatment therapists point out unmet needs related to vocational support for unemployed clients. Some facilities do not offer adequate help regarding patients’ legal problems.

Discussion
Inpatient and outpatient treatment patients as well as therapists are well aware of the wide scope of different needs and make an effort to meet them in the course of therapy. The least fulfilled group of needs is related to the lack of after-care programmes – a diversified offer is necessary and barriers accessing such programmes should be eliminated.

Conclusions
Research in many countries showed that there is not just one universal model of treatment adequate to the needs of all patients. Therefore, in order to make the system efficient, efforts should be made to create a wide spectrum of different treatment and after-care alternatives matching patients varying, specific needs.