Affiliations: [a] Statistical Group, WESTAT, Rockville, MD, USA | [b] Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Brandeis
University, Waltham, MA, USA | [c] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, Rockville, MD, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Thomas Krenzke, Statistical
Group, WESTAT, 1650 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel.: +1 301
251 4203; Fax: +1 301 294 2034; E-mail:
tomkrenzke@westat.com
Abstract: The Alcohol and Drug Services Study (ADSS) was conducted for the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration between 1996 and 1999 to assess the
nation's substance abuse treatment system. The sample for ADSS was selected
using a multi-stage stratified design. Clients were sampled from selected
substance abuse treatment facilities as part of the Phase II sample. Client
follow-up comprised interviews and urine specimen collection in Phase III of the
survey. One component of ADSS examined the impact of different incentive
payments on measures of response rate and response quality using ADSS Phase III
client interview data. To test for the effects of four payment levels, several
measures of response quality were used. The analysis of consistency involving
respondent self-reports, abstracted record data, and urine test results showed
no conclusive evidence that incentive payments have any positive or negative
effect on data consistency. The analysis of item non-response rates showed that
an increase in incentive payments was associated with a subtle decrease in item
type non-response rates. Furthermore, mixed results were observed when analyzing
the relationship between incentive payment and clients reporting more (or less)
of certain types of behavior.
