Linking Substance Abuse Services with General Medical Care: Integrated, Brief Interventions with Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

This paper presents the results of implementing on-site alcohol or drug (AOD) brief intervention services across several medical, surgical, and psychiatric services in a county hospital. These integrated brief interventions (IBI) included patient substance abuse assessment, feedback to patient, and referral/recommendations. Three hundred sixty-three patients were referred by hospital staff to these services and 95% of these patients were subsequently confirmed by chemical dependency specialists as having diagnoses of psychoactive substance abuse or dependence. Seventy-nine percent of chemically dependent patients were without current substance abuse treatment, even though 54% were partially motivated and 20% were fully motivated for getting treatment. Of patients contacted at follow-up, 35% reported involvement in some kind of substance abuse treatment or 12-step meetings. Implications for implementing integrated brief intervention services are discussed in light of recent trends in publicly funded treatment availability and brief intervention outcome studies.