Abstract
There have been several research and practical projects to promote alcohol brief interventions (BIs) in healthcare settings, but no reports of nationwide outcome have so far been published. In Finland, these activities started in the early 1990s, and in the past years, the focus has been mainly on primary and occupational health care. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether the extensive and long-lasting implementation efforts have led to the institutionalization of this activity among primary healthcare physicians and to the identification of factors that may be associated with it. The data were gathered by a questionnaire sent to all Finnish primary healthcare physicians in 2002 and 2007. In both years, the questionnaire contained questions on demographics, professional background and the physicians' own BI activity (regular, occasional, or none). In 2007, a question eliciting information about the change in BI activity during the past 5 years was added. The response rate was 67.1% (95% CI 65.4 to 68.8) (2,001/2,980) in 2002 and 50.9% (95% CI 49.2 to 52.6) (1,610/3,163) in 2007. The number of physicians offering BI had increased during the study years from 59.2 to 78.5%. Regular activity was reported in 2002 by 9.3% of physicians and in 2007 by 17.2% and occasional activity correspondingly by 49.9 and 61.3%. Of the physicians who offered BI in 2007, 52.4% reported increased activity and 42.6% similar activity to that reported 5 years earlier. Having a specialist's license in general practice or occupational health care or long experience as a primary healthcare physician predicted high activity. The BI activity of Finnish primary healthcare physicians is reasonably high and rising. Training and motivating those with low BI activity remains future challenge.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.