Inside the physician's black bag: Critical ingredients of brief alcohol interventions

Paul Grossberg*, Abigail Halperin, Sara Mackenzie, Mary Gisslow, David Brown, Michael Fleming

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Brief primary care interventions structured around patient workbooks have been shown to be effective in modifying hazardous drinking behavior. However, the critical ingredients of such interventions are not well understood, possibly contributing to their underutilization. Seventeen campus-based clinicians trained in a brief, workbook-based alcohol intervention participated in a qualitative study to identify the most promising clinician-patient interaction components within this shared approach, utilizing a focus group with the clinicians and ranking of the 24 workbook ingredients. Based on the clinicians' collective experience, consensus emerged around the perceived strength of 5 main components: (1) providing a summary of the patient's drinking level, (2) discussing drinking likes and dislikes, (3) discussing life goals, (4) encouraging a risk-reduction agreement, and (5) asking patients to track their drinking (on cards provided for this purpose). This is the first paper to examine primary care physician perspectives on potentially critical components of effective brief alcohol intervention.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)240-250
Number of pages11
JournalSubstance Abuse
Volume31
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2010

Funding

Paul Grossberg is affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics and University Health Services, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Abigail Halperin and Sara Mackenzie are affiliated with University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. Mary Gisslow and David Brown are affiliated with University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Michael Fleming is affiliated with the Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Address correspondence to: Paul Grossberg, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, University Health Services, 333 East Campus Mall, Madison, WI 53715-1381 (E-mail: [email protected]). This project was supported by 2 grants from the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse: 1R01 AA014685-01 and 1K24 AA015390-01. The authors would like to thank the dedicated work of all the clinician interventionists and staff at each of the 5 university health services who participated in the CHIPs study.

Keywords

  • Alcohol counseling
  • brief intervention
  • critical ingredients
  • heavy alcohol use
  • high-risk drinking
  • motivational interviewing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Medicine (miscellaneous)

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