Need for and Readiness to Implement a Performance Measurement System for South Africa’s Substance Abuse Treatment Services

Various concerns remain about the quality of publicly-funded substance abuse treatment in South Africa, including the lack of performance measurement. Eighty-one treatment providers in the Western Cape were asked their perceptions of treatment quality and beliefs about the utility and feasibility of implementing a performance measurement system. Most participants thought their treatment programme was effective (92.3 %), with the majority basing this belief on anecdotal reports (74.2 %). Almost all thought the objective assessment of treatment quality could be useful (97.2 %) and that implementing a system for monitoring treatment quality was feasible (86.8 %). About two-thirds (65.9 %) believed that the quality of treatment should be assessed routinely. Findings indicate a clear need for the standardized assessment of substance abuse treatment quality. Despite lack of an evaluation culture, providers are open to implementing a performance measurement system and believe that such implementation as part of routine activities is quite feasible.