A Spanish Adaption of the ASI-Multimedia Version

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase II application proposes to adapt to Spanish, a previously developed multimedia version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), called the ASI-MV. The ASI is reliable, valid, and the most widely used measure of addiction severity, both in clinical and research settings. It is now mandated in some governmental jurisdictions, and it may become a standard assessment for chemical dependency. A major drawback of the ASI is its interview format, and no validated Spanish version of the ASI exists. Given that persons of Hispanic ethnicity form the most rapidly growing ethnic group in the U.S. and that use of content valid assessments is vitally important, we propose a content valid adaptation of the ASI-MV for Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and Puerto Ricans. In Phase I, the ASI-MV script was adapted to the Spanish language for the three, target Hispanic cultures and pretested. In Phase II, the script will be incorporated into a prototype of the CD-ROM program, called the Spanish-ASI-MV (S-ASI-MV). The Phase Il field trial involves evaluation of the program's (1) test-retest reliability, (2) criterion validity, and (3) discriminant validity. The final product will be marketed as part of our extensive suite of substance abuse-related, multimedia tools. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The commercial impact of this project is promising. Treatment facilities are increasingly expected or mandated to comply with high standards of substance abuse assessment. Marketing of the English version of the ASI-MV, a multimedia, interactive administration of the Addiction Severity Index, has proceeded exceedingly well. The ASI-MV permits high-quality, reliable and valid patient assessments at a modest price and minimal personnel time. A Spanish adaptation of this program will extend the benefits of the ASI-MV to Hispanic clinients who prefer Spanish. Due to its reliability and low cost, we believe the ASI-MV could become the "Gold Standard" addictions assessment. Under such a circumstance, a Spanish adaptation would enjoy widespread use and profitability.