Implementing Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention in a Rural Primary Care Practice
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- Embargoed until 2026-05-13
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Abstract
Problem: National guidelines recommend routine alcohol screening in primary care to identify and address alcohol misuse, which has been shown to improve patient outcomes. An assessment of a rural primary care office revealed that adult patients were not undergoing alcohol screening, creating a gap in preventive care. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to implement alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) for all adult patients in a rural primary care setting using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Methods: Over 15 weeks, an interdisciplinary team facilitated the implementation of the AUDIT tool and integrated it into patient visits. The IT specialist created an electronic health record section to track screening and streamline data collection. The front desk staff provided patients with the AUDIT form upon arrival. The provider reviewed results, delivered appropriate interventions, and documented actions in the EHR. The QI project lead monitored performance, reviewing census data weekly to assess adherence and adjust the implementation strategies if necessary. Results: During the 15-week implementation period, 502 of 519 patients (96.7%) were screened for alcohol use, with a median performance of 97.2%. Of the 502 patients screened, 237 (47.2%) required brief interventions, and 229 (96.6%) received appropriate interventions with a median rate of 100%. Conclusions: Although the goal of achieving 100% alcohol SBI was not fully achieved, consistent improvements were observed, with the practice nearing the target by the end of the project. These findings demonstrate that integrating alcohol screening into primary care is feasible and effective, reinforcing the importance of systematic screening for alcohol misuse.
