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 .
Excessive drinking--brief intervention by a primary health care nurse. A randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a nurse-conducted intervention on  excessive drinkers .  DESIGN R and omized , controlled trial . SETTING Vårby Health Centre , Stockholm . INTERVENTION The intervention group visited a nurse three times during a 12-month period . The controls met once with a general practitioner ( GP ) . PATIENTS Patients were recruited at a health screening on the basis of a raised gamma-glutamyl transferase ( GGT ) . Of 2338 subjects , aged 25 - 54 years , 222 had a screening GGT of > or = 0.9 mukat/l . 100 were r and omized to the treatment and 122 to the control group . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES GGT , self-reported alcohol consumption ( g/week ) , sickness allowance and use of health care . RESULTS After 2 years a reduction of GGT from 1.52 to 1.21 mukat/l ( p = 0.02 ) had occurred in the treatment group . The controls increased their mean level of GGT from 1.75 to 2.16 mukat/l . Mean weekly alcohol consumption in the intervention group was reduced from 337 to 228 g/week ( p = 0.02 ) . The controls did not quantify their alcohol consumption initially , but reported a reduced weekly consumption at follow-up . CONCLUSION The intervention had an impact on GGT and self-reported consumption . The controls also reported decreased consumption possibly because their appointment with the GP functioned as a very brief intervention
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 .