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A brief readiness to change drinking algorithm: concurrent validity in female VA primary care patients
Amee J Epler1, Daniel R Kivlahan, Kristen R Bush
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Psychology Building, Room 105, 200 South Seventh Street, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. aje4x9@mizzou.edu
Addictive Behaviors
|December 29, 2004
Summary
A brief alcohol intervention tool, the readiness to change (RTC) Algorithm, accurately assesses patient readiness. This helps primary care providers tailor discussions for hazardous drinking patients effectively.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care
- Addiction Medicine
- Behavioral Health
Background:
- Brief interventions for alcohol use in primary care require patient-centered approaches.
- Assessing readiness to change is crucial for tailoring alcohol interventions.
- Existing validated measures are often too lengthy for routine primary care use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the concurrent validity of a brief, three-question readiness to change drinking algorithm (RTC Algorithm).
- To compare the RTC Algorithm against a validated 12-item readiness to change questionnaire (Rollnick RTCQ).
- To determine the practicality of the RTC Algorithm for primary care settings.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 85 hazardous drinking female Veterans Affairs (VA) patients was studied.
- Patients completed both the RTC Algorithm and the Rollnick RTCQ.
- Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing mean Rollnick RTCQ scores across RTC Algorithm categories.
Main Results:
- The RTC Algorithm demonstrated good concurrent validity when compared to the Rollnick RTCQ.
- Mean Rollnick RTCQ scale scores varied significantly across the RTC Algorithm categories.
- The findings support the RTC Algorithm as a practical tool for primary care.
Conclusions:
- The brief RTC Algorithm is a valid and practical tool for assessing readiness to change alcohol use in primary care.
- Healthcare providers can use the RTC Algorithm to tailor alcohol-related discussions with patients.
- This approach can enhance the effectiveness of brief primary care interventions for hazardous drinking.