title: Consultation contexts and the acceptability of alcohol enquiry from general practitioners - a survey experiment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  General practitioners have a crucial role in detecting risky drinking in patients. However, little is known about how the context of the consultation affect patient acceptability of these discussions.
  
  
  METHODS
  During one week in May 2014, adult patients seen at a community general practice in Sydney were randomised to receive one of two postal questionnaires. Participants rated the acceptability of alcohol enquiry in 20 vignettes of general practice consultations, either within a SNAP (smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity) framework (intervention) or alone (control).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 441 patients who received the questionnaires, 144 returned completed and returned it. The intervention group rated an additional 2.1 (95% CI = 0.38-3.7, P = 0.016) vignettes as acceptable compared to the control group. Alcohol enquiry acceptability varied greatly between individual scenarios.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol-use assessment may be more acceptable to patients when it is framed within the SNAP framework, especially in certain presentations (eg diabetes management).
authors.affiliation: BSc (Med) MBBS MMH (GP) FRACGP, Staff Specialist in General Practice, General Practice Unit, South Western Sydney Local Health District; Conjoint Senior Lecturer, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW; RACGP National Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee, NSW.
authors.forename: Chun Wah Michael
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Louis Hion-Lam
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zwar
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hespe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001315:Australia; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult