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Alcohol drinking patterns and medical care use in an HMO setting

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the association of medical care use (outpatient visits and hospitalization) with alcohol drinking patterns in a large health maintenance organization (HMO). Data were gathered from a random sample of 10,292 adult respondents through a telephone survey conducted between June 1994 and February 1996. Findings indicate that current non-drinkers with no past history of drinking had higher rates of outpatient visits and hospitalizations than current drinkers. Among current drinkers, medical care use declined slightly as drinking levels increased. Among nondrinkers, those with a drinking history exhibited significantly higher use of outpatient visits and hospital care than nondrinkers with no drinking history and current drinkers. Controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors, health status, and common medical conditions in multivariate analyses suggests that nondrinkers with a drinking history use more services because they are sicker than other nondrinkers or current drinkers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, 94118, San Francisco, CA

    Dorothy P. Rice B.A., Sc.D. (Hon.) (Professor Emeritus)

  2. the Division of Research, Northern California Region, at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California

    Carol Conell Ph.D. (senior programmer analyst), Enid M. Hunkeler M.A. (senior investigator) & Bruce Fireman M.A. (senior biostatistician)

  3. the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco

    Constance Weisner Dr.P.H. (professor)

  4. the Division of Research, Northern California Region, at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California

    Constance Weisner Dr.P.H. (professor)

  5. the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley

    Teh-wei Hu Ph.D. (professor)

Authors
  1. Dorothy P. Rice B.A., Sc.D. (Hon.)
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  2. Carol Conell Ph.D.
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  3. Constance Weisner Dr.P.H.
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  4. Enid M. Hunkeler M.A.
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  5. Bruce Fireman M.A.
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  6. Teh-wei Hu Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dorothy P. Rice B.A., Sc.D. (Hon.).

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Rice, D.P., Conell, C., Weisner, C. et al. Alcohol drinking patterns and medical care use in an HMO setting. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 27, 3–16 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287800

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