Capsule Commentary on McNeely et al., Validation of Self-Administered Single Item Screening Questions (SISQs) for Unhealthy Alcohol and Drug use in Primary Care Patients.

Abstract

While alcohol use is common in the US, most regular users of alcohol are not risk users. And while illicit drug use is less common, it portends higher risk of user impairment. Although primary care providers are required to screen for these conditions, research consistently shows opportunities for improvement.1 This gap could be due, in part, to both patient and provider perception of the screening activity. For example, screens measuring objective aspects of illness burden (e.g., blood pressure) usually do not illicit reactions pertaining to social desirability in the same way that screens for unhealthy relationships with drugs or alcohol do. Furthermore, perceived clinician burden of the screen can inhibit these important conversations.2–4