Patient Attitudes Toward Substance Use Screening and Discussion in Primary Care: Comparison Across Demographic...

Area of Science:

• Primary Care
• Public Health
• Substance Use Screening

Background:

• Effective primary care screening for unhealthy alcohol and drug use necessitates understanding patient perspectives.
• Differences in attitudes toward screening across demographics can lead to care gaps, yet research is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine patient attitudes toward alcohol and drug use screening in primary care.
• To identify demographic variations in patient comfort and acceptance of substance use screening.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 977 adult primary care patients on demographics and attitudes toward alcohol/drug use screening.
• Compared patient attitudes across age, gender, race, and ethnicity using statistical tests.

Main Results:

• Most patients across demographics reported supportive attitudes toward screening.
• Lower comfort reporting drug use was observed in younger, male, Black, and Hispanic patients.
• Middle-aged, Black, and Hispanic patients reported lower comfort with overall screening.

Conclusions:

• Alcohol and drug use screening in primary care is largely acceptable to patients.
• Strategies are needed to enhance patient comfort and address concerns about data usage, particularly for middle-aged, Black, and Hispanic populations.