TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Screening for risky drinkers among hospitalised inpatients using the AUDIT: a feasibility, point prevalence and data linkage study
JO  - Drug and alcohol review
A1  - O'Brien, Helen
A1  - Di Rico, Rehana
A1  - Dean, Emma
A1  - Smoker, Gemma
A1  - Lloyd-Jones, Martyn
A1  - McKechnie, Megan
A1  - Dietze, Paul M.
A1  - Doyle, Joseph S.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Risky drinking frequently remains undiagnosed or untreated, including in hospitalised inpatients. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), we assessed the feasibility of screening for risky drinking and whether screening results aligned with alcohol-attributable diagnoses in an inpatient population. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey across a tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia. Researchers collected demographics, AUDIT scores and acceptability from all eligible adult inpatients available on day of survey. Main outcomes were prevalence of risky drinking (AUDIT ≥8), mean AUDIT score and patient acceptability. Identification of risky drinking by the abbreviated 'AUDIT-C' or discharge diagnoses (extracted by data-linkage with medical records) was compared. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 473 eligible inpatients, 61% (n = 289) participated, 22% (n = 103) were unavailable and 17% (n = 81) declined. Median age was 64 years (IQR = 48, 76); 54% (n = 157) were male. Mean AUDIT score was 4.4 (SD = 5.5). Risky drinking prevalence was 20% (n = 57), 2% (n = 7) had scores suggestive of dependence (AUDIT ≥20, a subset of risky drinkers). Odds of risky drinking were reduced in females (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.09, 0.41; P < 0.001) and participants ≥70 years (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07, 0.71; P = 0.01). Alcohol-attributable diagnoses did not consistently align with risky drinking, with half of inpatients with wholly attributable diagnoses classified as low risk. Most inpatients considered screening acceptable (89%, n = 256). <br><br>DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Pre-admission risky drinking was evident in one-fifth of hospital inpatients, but alcohol-attributable diagnoses were unreliable proxy measures of risky drinking. Screening in-patients with the AUDIT was acceptable to inpatients and can be feasibly implemented in an Australian tertiary hospital setting.    Keywords: Ethanol impaired driving <p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0959-5236
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13343
ID  - ref1
ER  -