Diagnostic practices of evaluators of drunken drivers

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of driving under the influence (DUI) arrest history on the diagnostic decisions of DUI evaluators and the reported bases on which alcohol-related diagnostic decisions are made in DUI cases. Subjects were 70 (out of a potential 140) Illinois certified DUI evaluators who responded by mail to one of four case summaries containing different information about a "client's" drinking history and arrest history. Results indicated a significant difference in the frequency with which these DUI evaluators noted whether the "client" had an alcohol problem, with zero, one and two DUI arrests yielding approximately 30%, 15%, and 50% alcohol diagnoses in the absence of DSM-III criteria supporting such a diagnosis. Collaborative reports by significant others and alcohol-related tests (e.g., Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test) were the two most frequently reported bases. The costs of such diagnostic unreliability and the disadvantages of collaborative reports and screening tests are discussed.