[Effectiveness of training programs on alcohol consumption in the Primary Care setting: Systematic review]

To evaluate the effectiveness of training activities directed at Primary Health Care personnel on the management of patients with alcohol consumption problems.

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Trip Database, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database - ETOH and FAMILY RESOURCES DATABASE. The search was performed in June 2017.

The final sample was n=3 studies. Randomised controlled trials, indexed until 30 May 2017, with the objective of assessing the effectiveness of training programs directed at Primary Care providers in the management of patients with alcohol abuse disorder were included.

The main variables were expressed in terms of effectiveness of the training program: level of global implementation, screening of alcohol consumption, intervention in patients with a consumption risk, and level of support required.

Three Randomised controlled trials, published from 1999 to 2004, were included. Both screening and short intervention techniques showed an increase of its application in the three studies after the development of the three training programs. Statistical significance in terms of effectiveness was achieved in 2 of the 3 selected trials: both in detection of risk consumers, and in short intervention.

The development of training programs in the management of patients with alcohol abuse disorder is an effective strategy for Primary Care providers, allowing the implementation of population screening, as well as the application of intervention techniques.