Sensitivity analysis indicates that from both perspectives the service is very cost effective and may be cost saving .
CONCLUSIONS These results make alcohol screening and counseling one of the highest-ranking preventive services among the 25 effective services evaluated using st and ardized methods .
BACKGROUND The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ( USPSTF ) has recommended screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse .
This study was design ed to develop a st and ardized rating for the clinical ly preventable burden and cost effectiveness of complying with that recommendation that would allow comparisons across many recommended services .
A randomized study of secondary prevention of early stage problem drinkers in primary health care.
The subjects were recruited from participants in a health examination of r and om sample s of the adult population in Stockholm county . Those aged 18 - 64 years who admitted a high alcohol consumption ( greater than 40 g 100 % ethanol/day ) among men and greater than 30 g among women ) or had an elevated value of serum-gammaglutamyltransferase ( GGT ) ( cut-off point 1.0 microkatal/l for men and 0.6 microkatal/l for women ) or had certain other indications of a high alcohol consumption were included . More severe cases , and those with an elevated GGT due to reasons other than alcohol , were excluded . The remaining subjects , 70 men and 13 women , were allocated at r and om to either an intervention or a comparison group . An elevated GGT was the main inclusion criteria . The subjects in the comparison group were advised by the general practitioner to cut their alcohol consumption , while those in the intervention group made further visits to their general practitioner , who gave general support and used an elevated GGT as an indication of the recent level of alcohol consumption at consecutive visits . There were three visits on average , so we are comparing a group receiving advice with a group receiving further minimal intervention . At the one-year follow-up there were greater , however not significant , reduction in GGT-level , in self-reported alcohol consumption and in a ' problem index ' in the minimal intervention group than in the comparison group
Sensitivity analysis indicates that from both perspectives the service is very cost effective and may be cost saving .
CONCLUSIONS These results make alcohol screening and counseling one of the highest-ranking preventive services among the 25 effective services evaluated using st and ardized methods .
BACKGROUND The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force ( USPSTF ) has recommended screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse .
This study was design ed to develop a st and ardized rating for the clinical ly preventable burden and cost effectiveness of complying with that recommendation that would allow comparisons across many recommended services .