research report

Telecare in Scotland: benchmarking the present, embracing the future.

It is difficult to quantify the benefits that arise from telecare. One reason is that telecare involves “a complex intervention consisting of a hybrid of technology and people-based services applied to a varied client-base with wide-ranging pathology and social capital”. Another more basic one is that most telecare services to date are too new. This report provides statistics on the use of telecare in each Scottish local authority in an effort to create an evidence base.

The societal cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland for 2007

Although alcohol is widely recognised as a major generator of employment and income from exports in Scotland, a considerable (and increasing) amount of harm is associated with its misuse.

The effects of this misuse – which are considered in this paper – are wide, and generate substantial costs not only for the health service, but also for criminal justice, communities, employers, and the wider Scottish economy.

Is the harm still hidden? Inconsistent responses to Hidden Harm in specialist addiction services

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) report Hidden Harm (2003) outlined key deficits in the provision of services to pregnant drug users, drug using parents and to the children of drug using parents, while highlighting the extent of child exposure to parental drug use. In 2007, a follow-up report assessed what had changed in the intervening period focusing on examples of good practice and positive change. This paper is based on the results from a follow-up postal survey of managers of specialist drug services in the UK.

Attitudes towards alcohol: views of problem drinkers, alcohol service users and their families and friends (Health and Community Care Research Programme Research Findings No.12)

Between February and June 2001, the Scottish Executive Health Department undertook a consultation exercise to inform the development of its Plan for Action on alcohol problems. As part of this exercise, various pieces of research were commissioned to explore issues around alcohol misuse in Scottish society.

This paper presents the main findings of a study which obtained the views of problem drinkers,current and former alcohol service users and their families and friends.