Excessive alcohol use results in significant morbidity and increases health care utilization and costs. While conventional alcoholism treatment is focused upon those with advanced disease, the larger population of early problem drinkers may account for the majority of alcohol-related morbidities. Reduction of problem drinking is the broad objective of this research. To accomplish this objective, this study proposes to identify early problem drinkers among a population of primary care patients using a screening tool (AUDIT) developed by a World Health Organization project. A brief intervention will be carried out upon problem drinkers and outcomes will be compared to a randomly assigned, non-intervention control group. Change in drinking will be assessed primarily by change in AUDIT score, corroborated by in quantity and frequency measures from the Brief Drinker Profile. Additionally, health care utilization will be measured pre- and post- intervention. This study offers the advantages of a large sample size, access to a unitary medical record, and the availability of medical care utilization data. The study will test an innovative, practical, and low cost approach to intervening with alcohol abusers in the primary care setting. If effective, the approach can be a viable secondary prevention model for any medical care setting.
| Freeborn, D K; Polen, M R; Hollis, J F et al. (2000) Screening and brief intervention for hazardous drinking in an HMO: effects on medical care utilization. J Behav Health Serv Res 27:446-53 |
| Senft, R A; Polen, M R; Freeborn, D K et al. (1997) Brief intervention in a primary care setting for hazardous drinkers. Am J Prev Med 13:464-70 |
