The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has been working on the Fourth Edition of The ASAM Criteria®. This is the United States’ most comprehensive and widely applied set of standards for treating patients with addiction and accompanying conditions.
Are you involved in addiction treatment in some way? Consider offering feedback to be considered for the new edition. (Keep reading for more info.)
What is being updated in the Fourth Edition?
The Fourth Edition’s Editorial Subcommittee is making some big changes that incorporate recent developments in addiction medicine, with a goal of improving the quality of addiction treatment. Some of these changes, topics, and issues include:
- The use of telehealth, mobile services, and digital health tools in addiction treatment
- Standards for determining the recommended level of care
- Standards for multidimensional treatment planning that considers the patient’s biological, psychological, and sociocultural status
- Increasing access to addiction treatment medications
- Encouraging better integrated care for mental health conditions that often accompany addiction
- Promoting the integration of addiction treatment into general and primary care
- Treatment of patients with cognitive impairments
- Improving communication of medical necessity
- Updating the language used throughout the criteria
The first volume of the Fourth Edition will concentrate on adults with substance use disorder (SUD). In the future, ASAM hopes to release separate volumes on adolescents and young adults, addiction treatment in jails and prisons, and non-substance addictions (such as gambling and sex addiction).
The updates and changes are based on structured literature reviews and other information, such as ASAM Continuum data and ASAM Level of Care Certification program findings. The ASAM Continuum is an electronic tool that helps guide the treatment process by letting providers assess individuals with SUD and co-occurring conditions. The ASAM Level of Care Certification Program, done in partnership with CARF International, independently assesses a treatment program’s adherence with The ASAM Criteria.
How do you submit feedback for the Fourth Edition?
Behavioral health providers, clinicians, payers, policymakers, and patients all use these standards in one way or another. Because of this, ASAM is seeking public comment until November 11, 2022.
Last year, ASAM released its proposed major changes for public comment and used that feedback to develop a draft of the new standards and decision rules. Now, that draft is available by downloading this PDF from the ASAM.
For the ASAM to consider any feedback, you must submit it through this survey page. Follow the instructions carefully, and keep in mind that your comments may become publicly visible.
Once the feedback period is over, ASAM’s Quality Improvement Council will review and approve the Fourth Edition decision rules and standards. The ASAM Board of Directors must then approve any significant changes from the Third Edition.
Afterwards, the new edition can be finalized and published. Hazelden Publishing has scheduled the Fourth Edition’s first volume for publication and distribution in the fall of 2023.
Staying up-to-date on industry standards and regulatory changes is essential for any addiction treatment organization. BestNotes EHR solutions, created for behavioral health providers like you, automatically update to match common federal, state, and county standards, as well as accrediting bodies such as Joint Commission and CARF. Get in touch with us today to learn more, or schedule a free demo!