Cj. Cherpitel, ALCOHOL-USE AMONG HMO PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, PRIMARY-CARE AND THE GENERAL-POPULATION, Journal of studies on alcohol, 56(3), 1995, pp. 272-276
Objective: Although heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems are ov
errepresented among patients seen in some primary care settings compar
ed to the general population, it is not known whether those seen for n
oninjury problems in emergency rooms (ERs) are similar in demographic
and drinking characteristics to those seen in primary care clinics. No
r do we know whether alcohol-related problems are overrepresented in b
oth of these settings compared to the general population when equal ac
cess to health care services is provided, as by membership in the same
HMO. Reported here are data from a single northern California health
maintenance organization (HMO). Method: Probability samples of noninju
red patients seen in the ERs of the HMO (n = 579) are compared on demo
graphic characteristics and drinking patterns and problems to those se
en in the primary care clinics of the same HMO (n = 295) and to those
in the general population of the same county who reported membership i
n the HMO (n = 737). Results: No differences in drinking patterns, alc
ohol-related problems or gender or age distribution were found between
the clinic patients and the noninjured ER patients. Both the noninjur
ed ER patients and the clinic patients were less likely to report heav
y and problem drinking, or treatment for an alcohol-related problem du
ring the last year, as compared to those in the general population. Co
nclusions: The data from this HMO study suggest that noninjured patien
ts seen in these particular emergency rooms resemble those seen in pri
mary care, and that, contrary to the commonly held belief that alcohol
-related problems are overrepresented in primary care, primary care pa
tients in this HMO population may be less likely to be problem drinker
s than those in the general population from which they come.