ASAM CO-Triage™ is a computer-guided provisional referral tool developed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) to quickly assess and generate an initial level of care placement recommendation for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring conditions. It is designed for both medical and non-medical settings and can be administered by providers who are non-specialists in addiction medicine.
Key Benefits and Capabilities
Rapid Assessment & Referral: CO-Triage allows clinicians to obtain a provisional level of care placement recommendation in less than 10 minutes, significantly streamlining the initial intake and referral process.
ASAM Criteria Alignment: The tool conducts a quick, initial assessment along the six ASAM Criteria dimensions, helping to identify broad treatment needs, including those requiring immediate medical attention (e.g., withdrawal management, co-occurring, or bio-medical enhanced services).
Standardized Workflow: By using a computer-guided, standardized interview based on The ASAM Criteria, CO-Triage increases the likelihood that patients are referred to the correct initial level of care where they can receive a comprehensive assessment (often using the companion tool, ASAM CONTINUUM™).
Integration: The software is designed to open directly from a client record system (EHR/EMR) and can generate a Triage Report to share with clinicians at the receiving program, which includes patient critical items and provisional care needs. It also allows for pulling CO-Triage assessments into the more comprehensive ASAM CONTINUUM™ assessment to streamline clinical workflow.
Target Users and Use Cases
- Target Users: Clinicians, counselors, medical staff, social workers, and administrators in SUD treatment programs, hospitals, and primary care settings.
- Use Cases: Initial patient screening, provisional level of care placement, quick referral to comprehensive assessment, and standardization of intake processes across a system or state.