title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Seattle 98104-2499, USA.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000639:trends; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000639:trends*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000639:trends*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014861:Washington