Comfortably Engaging: Which Approach to Alcohol Screening Should We Use?
Ann Fam Med Vinson et al.
2: 398
The Article in Brief
There are many tests available that doctors can use to help determine if a patient has a problem with alcohol. A test in which the doctor asks a single question about the patient’s alcohol use was compared with a 4-question test. Most patients, including those who indicated that they might have a problem with alcohol, were equally comfortable with either test. Among patients who might have a problem with alcohol, about one third reported thinking about or planning to change their drinking behavior.