An intervention to improve the assessment of alcoholism by practicing physicians.

Objective: Alcoholism is estimated to affect at least 10% of American adults. Despite the fact that early diagnosis is possible and early treatment can prevent great suffering, American physicians typically diagnose and treat alcoholism less than half the time. Several authors have suggested additional physician education as a possible way to improve alcoholism assessment skills and increase the diagnosis rate.

Methods: A baseline audit, an educational intervention, and a post-intervention audit were done with physicians and nurse practitioners in an urban family practice group, using information recorded during everyday patient care.

Results: A significant increase in specific alcohol intake histories and a significant decrease in recorded abstention were found. The proportion of patients with a recorded diagnosis of alcoholism was 2.5% before and 4.1% after the intervention.

Conclusions: After this intervention, physicians' and FNP's skills in alcohol history-taking and assessment increased, and were incorporated into their daily patient care. Education alone was not enough to remedy a low diagnosis rate; many other factors are involved.