@article{ref1,
title="Investigating the effect of Alcohol Brief Interventions within accident and emergency departments using a data informatics methodology",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2018",
author="Baldacchino, Alex and O'Rourke, Louise and Humphris, Gerry",
volume="188",
number="",
pages="47-52",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABI) have been implemented throughout Scotland since 2008 and aim to reduce hazardous drinking through a Scottish Government funded initiative delivered in a range of settings, including Accident and Emergency (A and E) departments. <br><br>PURPOSE: To study the extent to which Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABI) are associated with later health service use. <br><br>METHOD: An opportunistic informatics approach was applied. A unique patient identifier was used to link patient data with core datasets spanning two years previous and two years post ABI. Variables included inpatient attendance, outpatient attendance, psychiatric admissions, and A and E attendance and prescribing. Patients (N = 1704) who presented at A and E departments who reported an average alcohol consumption of more than 8 units daily received the ABI. Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) was used to assess patients for hazardous alcohol consumption. Multilevel linear modelling was employed to predict post-intervention utilisation using pre-ABI variables and controlling for person characteristics and venue. <br><br>RESULTS: Significant decrease in A and E usage was found at one and two years following the ABI intervention. Previous health service use was predictive of later service use. A single question (Item 4) on the FAST was predictive of A and E attendance at one and two years. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This investigation and methodology used provide support for the delivery of the ABI. However, it cannot be ascertained whether this is due to the ABI or simply is a result of making contact with a specialist in the addiction field.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.035",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.035"
}