Alcohol consumption among emergency room patients: comparison of county/community hospitals and an HMO

This study examines the associations of drinking patterns and problems to injury vs noninjury status among emergency room (ER) patients. Data come from two distinctly different health care systems in the same county: (1) the county hospital and three community hospitals (N = 2,626) and (2) the three health maintenance organization (HMO) hospitals (N = 1,102). Results indicate that alcohol's role in injury cases seen in the ER differs from its contribution to noninjury cases. Further, the demographic characteristics of ER populations--and the associated drinking patterns--also vary from site to site, and these also affect the contribution of alcohol to events requiring ER treatment. Both studies used similar methods and data collection instruments. Probability samples of patients were breath analyzed and interviewed regarding self-reported consumption (within 6 hours prior to the injury or illness), usual drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems. In both samples injured were more likely than noninjured to have positive breath-analyzer readings and to report heavy drinking, more frequent drunkenness, prior alcohol-related accidents and prior treatment for an alcohol-related problem, but were no more likely to report harmful consequences of drinking or alcohol dependence experiences during the last year. Both injured and noninjured in the county/community sample reported higher rates of heavy and problem drinking than their counterparts in the HMO sample, while those in the HMO sample reported rates for heavy and problem drinking similar to those found in the general population of the county.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)