THE EFFECT OF ANONYMOUS VS NONANONYMOUS RATING CONDITIONS ON PATIENT SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION RATINGS IN A POPULATION OF SUBSTANCE-ABUSEPATIENTS

Patient self-report in evaluations involving alcohol and other drug ab use has generally been found to be reliable and valid. However, little is known about the variables associated with greater or lesser degree s of reliability and validity. This study was conducted to determine h ow motivation and satisfaction ratings obtained under anonymous condit ions would compare with ratings obtained under nonanonymous conditions . Over the course of 12 months, 1397 subjects in the Boston Target Cit ies Project were assigned to either confidential or fully anonymous da ta collection procedures in an interrupted time-series design. Anonymi ty had either no effect on ratings or accounted for <1% of the varianc e. Satisfaction and motivation ratings obtained under confidential con ditions are probably as reliable and valid as ratings obtained under f ully anonymous conditions.