This report presents the results from a scoping review for evaluation of drug rehabilitation outcomes and impacts in Ireland. The national drugs strategy includes a need to develop knowledge on rehabilitation outcomes, taking into account the experience of service users and families and examining outcomes across multiple domains. The outputs from this study include a recommendation of an evaluation methodology. The key objectives of this review are to:

Recommend appropriate research design options for measuring the impact and outcomes of the interventions provided in Irish drug treatment and rehabilitation services

Identify the rehabilitation impacts and outcomes for the users of these services

Identify the minimum sample or population size, duration of follow-up, and number of data collection time points for quantitative analysis.

Identify approaches to minimising loss to follow-up and their effectiveness

Identify the role routine information systems could play in impact and outcome evaluations

Identify the role of qualitative research in recording participants and their families’ experience of drug treatment and rehabilitation services

Calculate the cost of impact and outcome research for each option considered

Detail the practical implications of commissioning an evaluation study based on the recommended research design, participation, consent, loss to follow-up, number of data collection time points, duration of such as study, cost, use of routine information systems, communications, and future measurement of outcomes and impact.

The review was carried out from late 2020 and involved a review of the literature on drug treatment and rehabilitation, particularly examining the outcomes measured within studies and how such outcome measurements were obtained, e.g. follow-up interviews or routine data collection. This took the form of a mapping of the international evidence on rehabilitation outcomes and also included an assessment of the routine information resources currently available in the Irish health system.