title: Practitioner-level predictors of alcohol problems detection and management activities.
abstract: The alcohol health services literature suggests that a potential problem with promoting secondary prevention is an existing educational focus on alcohol dependency.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study explores practitioner-level predictors of health professionals' self-reported detection and management activities in an effort to inform this question.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants consisted of a random sample of licensed physicians and nurse practitioners in a northern California county.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on beliefs and practices regarding patients with alcohol problems and at-risk drinkers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that prior alcohol education predicted clinical practices to address known or suspected drinking problems, but not those at-risk or without observable symptoms. In addition, stigmatizing beliefs about problem drinkers discouraged use of blood tests even when awareness of a drinking problem existed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conclusions are that existing models of alcohol education appear to convey a tertiary focus, and do not cover secondary prevention sufficiently to challenge the deficits and beliefs that discourage early detection and intervention.
authors.affiliation: Indiana Prevention Resource Center and Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gassman
keywords: Secondary prevention; alcohol education; brief intervention; screening