Problem drinkers in acute care settings: validation of an assessment instrument

This article reports a validation study of a screening procedure for detecting those patients whose patterns of alcohol consumption places them at risk of developing alcohol-related health problems. The sample comprised 998 patients who were admitted to the wards of a general hospital for treatment of conditions which were not primarily alcohol-related. Twenty-six per cent of patients reported drinking more than published guidelines for low-risk drinking. The use of a diary was found to be a valid means of assessing patients' levels of alcohol consumption, and its reliability and validity was confirmed as a method of distinguishing potential problem drinkers from those whose level of alcohol consumption does not place them at risk. As such, the diary is recommended as an assessment tool which can readily be incorporated into standard assessment procedures.