PHYSICIAN KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAGE ALCOHOL SCREENING QUESTIONS AND ITS IMPACT ON PRACTICE

A cross-sectional survey of physicians (n = 301) and patients (n = 321 ) at a university-based department of medicine was completed to determ ine physician's ability to list CAGE alcohol screening questions and h ow this knowledge is associated with practice patterns. Forty-five per cent of the physicians had heard of the CAGE, but only 14% could list all four of the questions correctly. Physicians who knew the CAGE were more likely to report counseling and referral of their patients who a buse alcohol. However, as assessed by patient interview and chart revi ew, patients with an alcohol abuse problem were no more likely to have been recognized by or to have received more aggressive (sic) from res idents who knew the CAGE than patients cared or by residents who did n ot know the CAGE. Knowledge of an alcohol screening test is not suffic ient to change physician practice related to care of patients with an alcohol abuse problem. More attention must be directed towards the dev elopment of effective strategies which integrate into clinical practic e screening and initial treatment of patients who abuse alcohol.