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[Life style intervention for patients with alcohol-related somatic problems]
M J Emmen1, H Wollersheim, L D Elving
1Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Overschiestraat 65, 1062 XD Amsterdam. emmen@aiar.nl
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|April 16, 2004
Summary
Lifestyle interventions are crucial for addressing excessive alcohol use, often requiring more than simple medical advice. These structured programs, though initially time-consuming, yield long-term benefits for patients and physicians.
Area of Science:
- Internal Medicine
- Addiction Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant cause of somatic complaints.
- Medical treatment alone may be insufficient for patients with alcohol use disorders.
Observation:
- Three patients presented with somatic complaints linked to excessive alcohol intake.
- Individual responses varied: one patient stopped drinking after simple advice, another denied excessive use, and a third modified behavior after lifestyle intervention.
Findings:
- A structured lifestyle intervention, comprising screening, agenda setting, inventory, and appointment management, proved effective.
- The intervention, including brief sessions (10 minutes initially, 5 minutes subsequently), can be partly delivered by trained nurses.
- This approach addresses the need for structural interventions beyond standard medical care for alcohol-related issues.
Implications:
- Lifestyle interventions, despite short-term resource demands, offer long-term cost and time savings.
- These interventions lead to satisfactory outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.
- Integrating lifestyle interventions can improve the management of patients with alcohol use disorders.