Fewer Than Half of American Adults Receive Screening for Alcohol Misuse

Only about 49 percent of American adults age 35 and older are screened for alcohol misuse, a major cause of death, a new AHRQ study found. Of those who report drinking unhealthy amounts of alcohol and received screening, less than one-quarter reported having received counseling, according to the study. The study reviewed 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data and found that there was room for improvement in screening and counseling for other leading causes of death. Researchers found that the rate for receiving recommended screening and counseling for obesity was about 64 percent; for tobacco use, it was 62 percent. The authors concluded that solutions to increase the delivery of each of these services should be tailored to the local environment to balance the competing demands of primary care. Access the abstract.

2019 Mar;17(2):161-163. doi: 10.1370/afm.2363.

The Practice Gap: National Estimates of Screening and Counseling for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Obesity.

Shafer PR1,2, Borsky A3, Ngo-Metzger Q3, Miller T3, Meyers D3.

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Abstract

Tobacco use, lack of physical activity and poor diet, and alcohol consumption are leading causes of death in the United States. We estimated screening and counseling rates by using a nationally representative sample of adults aged 35 years and older with a preventive care supplement to the 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Receipt of the recommended level of services ranged from nearly two-thirds (64.2% for obesity, 61.9% for tobacco use) to less than one-half (41.0% for alcohol misuse). There is significant room for improving care delivery, but primary care practices probably also need additional resources to raise screening and counseling rates.