IMPROVING IDENTIFICATION OF AND INTERVENTION FOR ALCOHOLISM

A retrospective hospital medical record review was done using 45 diagn oses or laboratory findings that are associated with alcohol abuse. Th e reviewer assessed the level of documentation of alcohol consumption in relation to alcohol-related disorders before and after an intervent ion to heighten house staff's recognition of alcoholism. Of the patien ts with at least 1 alcohol-related disease, 58% were explicitly asked about their consumption of alcohol. The mean number of alcohol-related diseases was 3.8 +/- 2.3 in the group questioned compared with 1.9 +/ - 1.4 in the group not asked (P <.01). After the intervention, 90% of patients with at least 1 alcohol-related disease were asked about alco hol consumption. Once again, those asked had an average of 3.9 disease s compared with 2.1 in the other group (P <.01). Only younger age, inc reased specificity of alcohol-related disease, and the promotion of ph ysician awareness were important factors for influencing documentation . Introducing a program for detecting alcoholism can have a beneficial effect on physicians' identification of alcoholism in patients with a lcohol-related illnesses.