Sensitivity of Clinician Suspicion Using Different Criteria to Identify Which Patients Have an Alcohol Problem
| Criteria and Threshold for Identifying Patients With Alcohol Problem | Sensitivity % |
|---|---|
| Total AUDIT-C score: a positive screening test defined as a score at the given level or above | |
| ≥3 (women), ≥4 (men) | 16.1 |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 10 | 61.1 |
| Changing a positive screening test to negative if drinking on a “typical day” was ≤2 drinks and if the frequency of episodic heavy drinking was less often than monthly | 21.6 |
| Changing a positive screen to negative if drinking on a “typical day” was ≤2 drinks regardless of the frequency of episodic heavy drinking | 21.7 |
| Using only the third AUDIT-C question on episodic heavy drinking | |
| Monthly | 27.9 |
| Weekly | 38.7 |
| Daily or almost daily | 73.3 |
AUDIT-C = Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption.