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Screening for Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Emergency Departments: A Nationwide Assessment of Emergency Department Physicians
- Source :
- Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 28:E162-E169
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2021.
-
Abstract
- Objective To assess current screening practices for excessive alcohol consumption, as well as perceived barriers, perceptions, and attitudes toward performing this screening among emergency department (ED) physicians. Design A brief online assessment of screening practices for excessive drinking was disseminated electronically to a representative panel of ED physicians from November 2016 to January 2017. Descriptive statistics were calculated on the frequency of alcohol screening, factors affecting screening, and attitudes toward screening. Setting An online assessment was sent to a national panel of ED physicians. Participants A panel of ED physicians who volunteered to be part of the American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Medicine Practice Research Network survey panel. Main outcome measure The primary outcome measures were the percentage of respondents who reported screening for excessive alcohol consumption and the percentage of respondents using a validated excessive alcohol consumption screening tool. Results Of the 347 ED physicians evaluated (38.6% response rate), approximately 16% reported "always/usually," 70% "sometimes," and 14% "never" screening adult patients (≥18 years) for excessive alcohol use. Less than 20% of the respondents who screened for excessive drinking used a recommended screening tool. Only 10.5% of all respondents (15.4% "always," 9.5% "sometimes" screened) received an electronic health record (EHR) reminder to screen for excessive alcohol use. Key barriers to screening included limited time (66.2%) and treatment options for patients with drinking problems (43.1%). Conclusions Only 1 in 6 ED physicians consistently screened their patients for excessive drinking. Increased use of EHR reminders and other systems interventions (eg, electronic screening and brief intervention) could help improve the delivery of screening and follow-up services for excessive drinkers in EDs.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Response rate (survey)
medicine.medical_specialty
Alcohol Drinking
Descriptive statistics
business.industry
Health Policy
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Psychological intervention
MEDLINE
Emergency department
Excessive alcohol consumption
Alcoholism
Primary outcome
Physicians
Family medicine
Humans
Mass Screening
Medicine
Brief intervention
Emergency Service, Hospital
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10784659
- Volume :
- 28
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Public Health Management and Practice
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3166ec06ae7be37121ce7c0a2f224346
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001286