World Health Organization project on brief interventions for alcohol-related Droblems in primary nealth care settings

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the development and implementation of a brief intervention for harmful alcohol use in primary care settings by the World Health Organization. It started with the development of a valid, reliable and suitable clinical screening instrument to identify persons with early alcohol problems, a 10-item questionnaire called ‘AUDIT’ (Alcohol Use Disorders, Identification Test). This was followed by a randomized clinical trial of brief intervention in primary health care settings for those who screened positive on the AUDIT. Phase III of the project studied strategies to increase the uptake and utilization of a brief intervention package by general practitioners in several countries. The next phase of the project will focus on an effective implementation and dissemination strategy in primary care settings