Alcohol Screening For Patients Research Articles

Alcohol screening and alcohol interventions among patients with hypertension in primary health care: an empirical survey of German general practitioners

Background: Alcohol is one of the least intervened risk factors in the management of hypertension at the primary care level. In order to improve alcohol interventions, a better understanding of knowledge, attitudes and clinical practice of lifestyle interventions in the management of hypertension is needed.Method: As a part of a European study (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), 211 German general practitioners (GPs) were recruited in Bavaria and Hamburg and surveyed via an Internet-based questionnaire. Results were compared with the European sample (n = 2870).Results: One-third of the patients seen by German GPs had hypertension (36.2%, standard deviation (SD): 14.6) and among cases with hypertension, less than half were ever screened for alcohol (4.5 out of 10 patients). The foremost reasons for not screening for alcohol were that alcohol was not considered a major risk factor for hypertension plus the lack of knowledge of appropriate alcohol screening instruments. The majority of German GPs managed patients with hazardous drinking levels themselves or in their practice (71.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 64.6–77.2%), but only 42.0% (95% CI: 35.2–49.0%) managed alcohol dependent patients. German screening rates were slightly lower but interventions of screened positive patients higher than the European average.Conclusions: Rates of alcohol screening in patients with hypertension in primary health care may be increased by improving GPs knowledge of alcohol as a major risk factor for hypertension, increasing GPs education on alcohol and screening instruments, and providing reimbursement. This may increase treatment of alcohol problems in patients with hypertension and reduce hypertension.

P172 Implementation of alcohol screening in patients attending a large walk-in sexual health service within london

Background UK national guidelines advocate a role for sexual health services to offer routine screening for high-risk alcohol consumption in patients. Screening for alcohol misuse and offering brief interventions in this setting has been shown to be acceptable to clinicians and patients. In August 2014 the Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) was incorporated into the sexual history proforma in a London Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinic. Aim An audit was undertaken to assess the use of the FAST tool and management of patients with a positive FAST result. Methods A retrospective case-notes review of randomly selected patients attending the GUM clinic in October 2014 was performed. Information was collected on patient demographics, sexual history, sexually transmitted infections, completion of FAST tool and action dependent on outcome of risk assessment. Results 169 case notes were reviewed: 55% female and 45% male, mean age was 30 (range 17–74) years. The FAST tool was completed in 87% (147/169) of case notes. Of patients screened, 86% (127) identified as low risk, 10% (15) increasing and 4% (5) high risk (hazardous drinkers). Of hazardous drinkers, 90% (18) had a documented action for risk reduction; 56% (10) had verbal advice documented, 22% (4) accepted written advice, 22% (4) accepted referral to a sexual health advisor. Conclusion Clinician completion of the FAST tool within the sexual history proforma in a busy clinic was high, with some scope for improvement. Of the relatively low number of hazardous drinkers identified, most accepted only brief verbal advice in clinic.

Correlates of Injury Among ED Visits: Effects of Alcohol, Risk Perception, Impulsivity, and Sensation Seeking Behaviors

This cross-sectional study used a random sample of 412 Emergency Department (ED) patients to test the following hypothesizes: 1) injury would be positively associated with problem drinking and recent drinking; 2) impulsivity and sensation seeking would be positively associated with injury, while risk perception would be negatively associated with injury. Results show recent drinking is associated with 2-fold increase in the odds of injury [OR and 95%; CI = 2.34 (1.07–5.10)] while problem drinking and personality factors were unrelated to injury. Other significant predictors were gender and age. Findings suggest a need for alcohol screening for patients who check themselves into the ED due to injury.