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Published on: January 5, 2018
Primary care validation of a single screening question for drinkers
J Paul Seale1, John M Boltri, Sylvia Shellenberger
1Department of Family Medicine, Medical Center of Central Georgia and Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia 31206, USA. seale.paul@mccg.org
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|July 19, 2006
Summary
A single question effectively screens for alcohol misuse in primary care. This time-efficient tool shows promise for identifying at-risk drinkers and those with alcohol use disorders.
Area of Science:
- Primary care research
- Alcohol screening tools
- Public health
Background:
- Alcohol misuse is a significant public health concern.
- Effective screening in primary care settings is crucial for early intervention.
- Previous validation of a single screening question was limited to emergency departments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a single screening question for alcohol misuse in primary care.
- To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the question in a primary care population.
- To compare the performance of the single question with established instruments like AUDIT and AUDIT-C.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 625 adult drinkers in five primary care practices.
- Participants completed a single screening question, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and AUDIT consumption questions (AUDIT-C).
- Alcohol misuse was defined using Timeline Followback interviews and DSM-IV criteria for alcohol use disorder.
Main Results:
- 35.2% of participants met criteria for alcohol misuse (at-risk drinking or current alcohol use disorder).
- The single question demonstrated 80% sensitivity and 74% specificity when 'within the last 3 months' was considered positive.
- Specificity varied by demographic groups; the question's performance was comparable to AUDIT and AUDIT-C.
Conclusions:
- A single question about heavy drinking episodes is a sensitive and time-efficient screening instrument.
- This tool shows potential for enhancing alcohol misuse screening in primary care.
- Further implementation in primary care settings is warranted.
