When it comes to alcohol problems, a little investment in counselling by the primary care team gives big dividends, according a new study.

When it comes to alcohol problems, a little investment in counselling by the primary care team gives big dividends, according a new study.
Alcohol abuse gives rise to a wide range of physical and mental problems - from liver damage to accidents and injuries. Yet physicians don't show the same interest in patients' drinking as they do in their smoking habits.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have shown that a few minutes intervention in primary care team can reduce problem drinking. Of 774 problem drinkers, one group were assigned to a support programme and the rest acted as a control. The programme is called TrEAT (Trial for Early Alcohol Treatment) and was developed in England. It consists of two 15 minute talks with the doctor, two five minute follow-up phone calls from a nurse, and aids such as a drinking cue worksheet, a drink diary, and a drinking agreement.

The research team found a big reduction in danger-level drinking in patients on the programme, as well as fewer accidents and injuries, and fewer doctor visits for alcohol-related problems. Evidently it's worthwhile doctors taking just a little extra time to ask patients about drinking - just as they would pay attention to their smoking.

Source

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research January 2002