MATE: Measurements in the Addictions for Triage and Evaluation

The objective of the MATE is to assess patient characteristics in a valid and reliable manner for purposes of referring patients to treatment and evaluating the treatment that is provided. The MATE focuses on addicted patients who are in treatment, but some of the components apply equally well to non-addicted individuals undergoing mental-health treatment. This flexibility applies particularly to the MATE ICN, the module that assesses a person’s problems related to his or her activities and participation in society, the factors that affect these problems, and the healthcare needs that result.
The MATE was developed because of the need for a set of assessment instruments that was developed specifically for use in Europe, is up-to-date, is conceptually and empirically supported, and can be soundly integrated into existing healthcare practice with regard to the terminology used and the constructs measured.

The MATE was developed by the Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research (AIAR) and Bureau Bêta in Nijmegen, in conjunction with the substance-abuse treatment centre Tactus in the Netherlands and under the supervision and guidance of a steering committee of scientists and clinicians. The development was made possible largely through a number of subsidies from the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).

For more information on the MATE see www.mateinfo.eu

MATE [E]

The MATE assessment and scoring forms are available as PDF files, so they can be used as a paper-and-pencil test. The MATE [E] is the electronic version of these forms. It is also available as a PDF document with input fields where a value or text is written with a pen or pencil. Computing rules are built into the MATE [E] for calculating the MATE scores. Help screens are also available.

Bureau Bêta, Theo Broekman’s research company, developed the MATE [E]. He is one of the authors of the MATE. The point of departure in developing the MATE [E] was to have an assessment tool that almost anyone could use on almost any computer and with the least amount of installable software necessary.

The MATE [E] can be used without a license on the condition that it is not used on a regular base. With this free version, the 20 MATE scores can be computed automatically. The forms and the data, however, cannot be saved. The licensed version, the MATE [E-license], is required for regular use or use on a larger scale or for adaptations, extensions, or various other possibilities. It can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual user.

For clarity: The MATE family is the intellectual property of Gerard M. Schippers and Theo G. Broekman. They provide it free of charge for anyone who wants to use it for non profit purposes. All materials are downloadable from www.mateinfo.eu. Only for the electronic form: MATE [E-license] a license is necessary.

Capabilities of the MATE [E]

The MATE [E] has limited functionality compared to the licensed version.
The following table compares the capabilities of the two versions.

 

Function

MATE [E]

MATE [E-license]

  Computation of the MATE scores

  Links to the anchor points of the MATE-ICN  

  Algorithms for allocation to level of care  

  Printing the completed form

  Saving the completed form  

  Exporting or e-mailing data for statistical analysis or for importing into other databases  

  Electronic signing  

The MATE [E] is currently available in English, Dutch, and German. It can be downloaded here
That version can be opened with Adobe Reader X or higher. For a version that can be opened with an earlier version of Adobe Reader, contact us.

Information

For more information, please contact us at

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