Agile implementation of alcohol screening in primary care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Primary Care Medicine
• Implementation Science

Background:

• The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening adults for unhealthy alcohol use.
• However, current alcohol screening rates in primary care settings are suboptimal.
• Effective implementation strategies are needed to improve screening rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of an Agile implementation process in increasing and sustaining alcohol screening in primary care.
• To improve the uptake of evidence-based recommendations for unhealthy alcohol use screening.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-implementation study design was employed.
• An Agile implementation process was utilized over a nine-month period (October 2021 to June 2022).
• Screening for unhealthy alcohol use was conducted in a large primary care clinic serving minority and underprivileged adults.

Main Results:

• The baseline screening rate for unhealthy alcohol use was 0%.
• The Agile implementation process successfully increased screening rates to over 80%.
• Sustained screening rates above 80% were achieved using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption tool (AUDIT-C).

Conclusions:

• The Agile implementation process is an effective strategy for implementing evidence-based recommendations in primary care.
• This approach successfully increased and sustained screening for unhealthy alcohol use.
• Primary care settings can improve adherence to screening guidelines through structured implementation processes.