Abstract
To facilitate the early identification and treatment of alcohol misuse among trauma patients, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) requires ACS-accredited level 1 trauma centers to have an active alcohol screening and brief intervention program. The development, implementation, and evaluation of a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment as a new institutional standard of care for alcohol misuse at a level 1 trauma center is described. The Division of Behavioral Medicine, a health psychology-based service, was nominated to manage this initiative as a result of clinical training and expertise in assessment, evidence-based psychological interventions, and case management. Trauma patients with elevated blood alcohol concentrations were screened at the time of admission and several months post-hospitalization. Clinical data suggest that screening for alcohol misuse can help identify patients at risk for, and struggling with, alcohol use disorders, encourage positive changes in alcohol consumption patterns, and increase access to treatment. Recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of this process, associated challenges and limitations, and considerations for future clinical and research endeavors are discussed.
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The authors Alexa M. Hays, Kelly L. Gilrain, Victoria A. Grunberg, Anastasia Bullock, Philip Fizur, and Steven E. Ross declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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This program evaluation project was evaluated and approved by the Institutional Review Board at Cooper University Hospital. It was considered to pose minimal risk to patients; therefore, informed consent was not required for this study. Data were obtained as part of routine clinical practice during Behavioral Medicine patient visits to inform intervention and recommendations for follow-up care. All data for this program evaluation were placed in a de-identified database before any analyses were performed. For this type of study, formal consent was not required (the requirement was waived after institutional review board review).
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Hays, A.M., Gilrain, K.L., Grunberg, V.A. et al. Implementing and Evaluating SBIRT for Alcohol Use at a Level 1 Trauma Center: A Behavioral Medicine Approach. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 27, 376–384 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-019-09681-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-019-09681-9