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 .
The long-term effectiveness of brief interventions for unsafe alcohol consumption: a 10-year follow-up.
AIMS To examine the long-term impact of brief and early interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption . DESIGN A 9-month and 10-year follow-up of subjects recruited into a r and omized controlled trial of a range of alcohol-related brief interventions . SETTING General practice s , the outpatient or acute care services of a major city hospital , and a privately run health screening programmeme . PARTICIPANTS The cohort of 554 ( non-dependent ) hazardous and harmful drinkers recruited into the Australian arm of the Phase II World Health Organization collaborative project on identification and treatment of persons with harmful alcohol consumption . INTERVENTION The effectiveness of three forms of intervention , ranging from 5 to 60 minutes in duration , were compared with a no-treatment control condition . MEASUREMENTS Included drinking behaviour and biological markers of alcohol use . In addition , at 10 years subjects were asked about symptoms of diagnosable alcohol use disorders and their experience of alcohol-related psychological , social and physical harm . Mortality was also assessed . FINDINGS Results provide further evidence for the short-term effectiveness of alcohol-related brief interventions . In comparison to controls , subjects offered intervention : ( 1 ) report significantly lower consumption ; and ( 2 ) less unsafe drinking at 9-month follow-up . The intensity of intervention was not related to the amount of change in drinking behaviour . Analysis at 10 years failed to find any differences in outcomes between intervention and control groups in median consumption , mean reduction in consumption from baseline to follow-up , mortality and ICD-10 diagnoses of alcohol dependence or harmful alcohol use . CONCLUSIONS This study failed to find evidence that brief advice and counselling without regular follow-up and reinforcement can sustain significant long-term reductions in drinking behaviour at 10-year follow-up
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 .