Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How primary care providers talk to patients about alcohol a qualitative study

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcohol misuse is a common and well-documented source of morbidity and mortality. Brief primary care alcohol counseling has been shown to benefit patients with alcohol misuse.

OBJECTIVE: To describe alcohol-related discussions between primary care providers and patients who screened positive for alcohol misuse.

DESIGN: An exploratory, qualitative analysis of audiotaped primary care visits containing discussions of alcohol use.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 29 male outpatients at a Veterans Affairs (VA) General Internal Medicine Clinic who screened positive for alcohol misuse and their 14 primary care providers, all of whom were participating in a larger quality improvement trial.

MEASUREMENTS: Audiotaped visits with any alcohol-related discussion were transcribed and coded using grounded theory and conversation analysis, both qualitative research techniques.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: (1) patients disclosed information regarding their alcohol use, but providers often did not explore these disclosures; (2) advice about alcohol use was typically vague and/or tentative in contrast to smoking-related advice, which was more common and usually more clear and firm; and (3) discomfort on the part of the provider was evident during alcohol-related discussions.

LIMITATIONS: Generalizability of findings from this single-site VA study is unknown.

CONCLUSION: Findings from this single site study suggest that provider discomfort and avoidance are important barriers to evidence-based brief alcohol counseling. Further investigation into current alcohol counseling practices is needed to determine whether these patterns extend to other primary care settings, and to inform future educational efforts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Institute of Medicine. Broadening the Base of Treatment for Alcohol Problems: A Report of the Committee for the Study of Treatment and Rehabilitation for Alcoholism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  2. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse: recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:554–6.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bertholet N, Daeppen JB, Wietlisbach V, Fleming M, Burnand B. Reduction of alcohol consumption by brief alcohol intervention in primary care: systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:986–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Moyer A, Finney JW, Swearingen CE, Vergun P. Brief interventions for alcohol problems: a meta-analytic review of controlled investigations in treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking populations. Addiction. 2002;97:279–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Whitlock EP, Polen MR, Green CA, Orleans T, Klein J. Behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce risky/harmful alcohol use by adults: a summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:557–68.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Ballesteros J, Duffy JC, Querejeta I, Arino J, Gonzalez-Pinto A. Efficacy of brief interventions for hazardous drinkers in primary care: systematic review and meta-analyses. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004;28:608–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Wallace P, Cutler S, Haines A. Randomised controlled trial of general practitioner intervention in patients with excessive alcohol consumption. BMJ. 1988;297:663–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fleming MF, Barry KL, Manwell LB, Johnson K, London R. Brief physician advice for problem alcohol drinkers: a randomized controlled trial in community-based primary care practices. JAMA. 1997;277:1039–45.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fleming MF, Mundt MP, French MT, Manwell LB, Stauffacher EA, Barry KL. Benefit-cost analysis of brief physician advice with problem drinkers in primary care settings. Med Care. 2000;38:7–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fleming MF, Mundt MP, French MT, Manwell LB, Stauffacher EA, Barry KL. Brief physician advice for problem drinkers: long-term efficacy and benefit-cost analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2002;26:36–43.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Samet JH, Rollnick S, Barnes H. Beyond CAGE: a brief clinical approach after detection of substance abuse. Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:2287–93.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Barnes HN, Samet JH. Brief interventions with substance-abusing patients. Med Clin North Am. 1997;81:867–79.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rush B, Ellis K, Crowe T, Powell L. How general practitioners view alcohol use: clearing up the confusion. Can Fam Physician. 1994;40:1570–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hasin D, Grant B, Dufour M, Endicott J. Alcohol problems increase while physician attention declines. Arch Internal Med. 1990;150:397–400.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. D’Amico EJ, Paddock SMBA, Kung F. Identification of and guidance for problem drinking by general medical providers. Med Care. 2005;43:229–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Edlund MJ, Unutzer J, Wells KB. Clinician screening and treatment of alcohol, drug, and mental problems in primary care: results from healthcare for communities. Med Care. 2004;42:1158–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Babor TE, Higgins-Biddle J, Dauser D, Higgins P, Burleson JA. Alcohol screening and brief intervention in primary care settings: implementation models and predictors. J Stud Alcohol. 2005;66:361–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Funk M, Wutzke S, Kaner E, et al. A multicountry controlled trial of strategies to promote dissemination and implementation of brief alcohol intervention in primary health care: findings of a World Health Organization collaborative study. J Stud Alcohol. 2005;66:379–88.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Arborelius E, Thakker KD. Why is it so difficult for general practitioners to discuss alcohol with patients? Fam Practice. 1995;12:419–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lock CA, Kaner E, Lamont S, Bond S. A qualitative study of nurses attitudes and practices regarding brief alcohol intervention in primary health care. J Adv Nurs. 2002;39:333–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Beich A, Gannik D, Malterud K. Screening and brief intervention for excessive alcohol use: qualitative interview study of the experiences of general practitioners. BMJ. 2002;325:1–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Bander KW, Goldman DS, Schwartz MA, Rabinowitz E, English JT. Survey of attitudes among three specialities in a teaching hospital toward alcoholics. J Med Educ. 1987;62:17–24.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Aira M, Kauhanen J, Larivaara P, Rautio P. Differences in brief interventions on excessive drinking and smoking by primary care physicians: qualitative study. Prev Med. 2004;38:473–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Aira M, Kauhanen J, Laricaara P, Rautio P. Factors influencing inquiry about patients’ alcohol consumption by primary health care physicians: qualitative semi-structured interview study. Fam Practice. 2003;20:270–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Aalto M, Pekuri P, Seppa K. Obstacles to carrying out brief intervention for heavy drinkers in primary health care: a focus group study. Drug & Alc Review. 2003;22:169–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Anderson P, Kaner E, Wutzke SE, et al. Attitudes and managing alcohol problems in general practice: an interaction analysis based on findings from a WHO collaborative study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2004;39:351–6.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Cornuz J, Ghali WA, Di Carlantonio D, Pecoud A, Paccaud F. Physicians’ attitudes towards prevention: importance of intervention-specific barriers and physicians’ health habits. Fam Pract. 2000;17:535–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Thom B, Tellez C. A difficult business: detecting and managing alcohol problems in general practice. Br J Addict. 1986;81:405–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Fihn SD, McDonell MB, Diehr P, et al. Effects of sustained audit/feedback on self-reported health status of primary care patients. Am J Med. 2004;116:241–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Health. Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician’s Guide. Rockville, MD: 2005.

  31. Bradley KA, Kivlahan DR, Bush KR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD. Variations on the CAGE alcohol screening questionnaire: strengths and limitations in VA general medical patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001;25:1472–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Bradley KA, Bush K, McDonell MB, Malone T, Fihn SD. Screening for problem drinking: comparison of CAGE and AUDIT. J Gen Intern Med. 1998;13:379–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Bradley KA, Epler A, Bush K, et al. Alcohol-related discussions during general medicine appointments of patients who screen positive for atrisk drinking. J Gen Intern Med. 2002;17:315–27.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Crabtree BF, Miller WL, eds. Doing Qualitative Research. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Drew P, Chatwin J, Collins S. Conversation analysis: a method for research into interactions between patients and health-care professionals. Health Expect. 2001;4:58–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Maynard DW, Heritage J. Conversation analysis, doctor-patient interaction and medical communication. Med Educ. 2005;39:428–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Roter DL, Frankel RM, Hall JA, Sluyter D. The expression of emotion through nonverbal behavior in medical visits. mechanisms and outcomes. J Gen Intern Med. 2006;21(Suppl 1):S28-S34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Beck RS, Daughtridge R, Sloane PD. Physician-patient communication in the primary care office: a systematic review. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2002;15:25–38.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Wenrich MD, Paauw DS, Carline JD, Curtis JR, Ramsey PG. Do primary care physicians screen patients about alcohol intake using the CAGE questions? J Gen Intern Med. 1995;10:631–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Epstein RM, Morse DS, Frankel RM, Frarey L, Anderson K, Beckman HB. Awkard moments in patient-physician communication about HIV risk. Ann Intern Med. 1998;128:435–42.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Merrill JO, Rhodes LA, Deyo RA, Marlatt GA, Bradley KA. Mutual mistrust in the medical care of drug users: the keys to the “Narc cabinet.” J Gen Intern Med. 2002;17:327–33.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Meredith LS, Mazel RM. Counseling for depression by primary care providers. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2000;30:343–65.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Yarnall KSH, Pollak KL, Ostbye T, Krause KM, Micchener JL. Primary care: is there enough time for prevention? Am J Public Health. 2003;93:635–41.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Larsson US, Saljo R, Aronsson K. Patient-doctor communication on smoking and drinking: lifestyles in medical consultations. Soc Sci Med. 1987;25:1129–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Russell NK, Roter DL. Health promotion counseling of chronic-disease patients during primary care visits. Am J Public Health. 1993;83:979–82.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Green CA, Perrin NA, Polen MR. Gender differences in the relationships between multiple measures of alcohol consumption and physical and mental health. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004;28:754–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Klatsky AL, Armstrong MA, Friedman GD. Alcohol and mortality. Ann Intern Med. 1992;117:646–54.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northwest Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA

    Kinsey A. McCormick BA & Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Kinsey A. McCormick BA, Anthony L. Back MD, Joseph O. Merrill MD, MPH, Emily C. Williams MPH & Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH

  3. White River Junction VA Hospital, White River, Junction, VT, USA

    Nancy E. Cochran MD

  4. Department of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH, USA

    Nancy E. Cochran MD

  5. Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Joseph O. Merrill MD, MPH

  6. Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA

    Emily C. Williams MPH & Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH

  7. Primary and Specialty Medical Care Service, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA

    Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH

  8. Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Kinsey A. McCormick BA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nancy E. Cochran MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anthony L. Back MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Joseph O. Merrill MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Emily C. Williams MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Katharine A. Bradley MD, MPH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kinsey A. McCormick BA.

Additional information

None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project (ACQUIP) was funded by VA HSR&D Grants #SDR96-002 and IIR99-376. Dr. Bradley is an investigator at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, is currently supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA #K23AA00313), and was a Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar at the time of this work. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the University of Washington, the NIAAA, or the RWJ Foundation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCormick, K.A., Cochran, N.E., Back, A.L. et al. How primary care providers talk to patients about alcohol a qualitative study. J GEN INTERN MED 21, 966–972 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02743146

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02743146

Key words

Search

Navigation