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Drinking patterns, health care utilization, and costs among HMO primary care patients

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Abstract

A survey of 8,034 primary care patients in a health maintenance organization examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and health care costs and service use. Costs were estimated from service use data for 1 year before and 2 years after study enrollment. No strong, consistent relationships were identified between multiple indicators of drinking patterns and either health care costs or service use. Compared with total costs among very light drinkers, former drinkers were higher, lifetime abstainers were similar, and persons in the higher drinking levels tended to have lower but not significantly different costs. Drinking patterns did not appear to be an important predictor of short-term health care costs or service use in this setting. Further study of former drinkers is warranted to examine the role of alcohol-related illnesses in the decision to quit drinking.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800 N Interstate Avenue, 97227, Portland, OR

    Michael R. Polen MA (Senior Research Associate), Carla A. Green PhD, MPH (Senior Research Associate), Donald K. Freeborn PhD (Senior Investigator), John P. Mullooly PhD (Senior Investigator) & Frances Lynch PhD (Investigator)

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  1. Michael R. Polen MA
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  2. Carla A. Green PhD, MPH
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  3. Donald K. Freeborn PhD
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  4. John P. Mullooly PhD
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  5. Frances Lynch PhD
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Correspondence to Michael R. Polen MA.

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Polen, M.R., Green, C.A., Freeborn, D.K. et al. Drinking patterns, health care utilization, and costs among HMO primary care patients. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 28, 378–399 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02287770

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