Alcohol use screening and case finding: screening tools, clinical clues, and making the diagnosis

John R Freedy; Katherine Ryan

doi:10.1016/j.pop.2010.11.007

Alcohol use screening and case finding: screening tools, clinical clues, and making the diagnosis

Prim Care. 2011 Mar;38(1):91-103. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2010.11.007.

Authors

John R Freedy¹, Katherine Ryan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 295 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401, USA. Electronic address: freedyjr@musc.edu.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

PMID: 21356423
DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2010.11.007

Abstract

This article presents an evidence-based approach to screening and case finding for alcohol use disorders in primary care. Problematic alcohol use by both adults and adolescents is considered. For clarity, this evidence-based presentation is divided into 6 sections: (1) epidemiology of alcohol use disorders, (2) associated health problems, (3) US Preventive Services Task Force screening recommendations, (4) screening/case finding instruments, (5) screening/case finding strategies, and (6) summary. This article reviews the state-of-the-art, evidence-based concepts and practices for screening and case finding for alcohol use disorders among adults and adolescents in primary care settings.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Alcoholism / diagnosis*
Alcoholism / epidemiology
Humans
Mass Screening / methods*
Medical Records Systems, Computerized
Primary Health Care / methods
Risk Assessment / methods
United States / epidemiology
Young Adult