title: STREAM: Elucidating How Alcohol Use Disorders are Managed in UK General Practice Today.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize a contemporaneous cohort of UK general practice patients with alcohol use disorder and describe their management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study in 25 primary care practices in England and Scotland. Adult patients with known or suspected alcohol dependence (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥8) were followed for 6 months and were profiled using baseline data. Changes over time in treatment for alcohol dependence (strategy, goals, modality) and the level of compliance were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Targeted case identification was a feasible means of identifying patients with DSM-IV confirmed alcohol dependence in general practice. In the cohort (n = 218), mean total alcohol consumption was high (men: 86.9 g/day; women: 62.7 g/day) and psychiatric co-morbidities were common (depression: 25.8% of patients; anxiety disorders: 25.8% of patients). At baseline, about half of patients reported ongoing or planned treatment for alcohol dependence. Over 6 months' observation, treatment modalities did not change and most patients retained their original stated treatment goal of abstinence or reduced alcohol intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeted case identification in general practice identifies patients with alcohol use disorder in need of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Global Epidemiology, Lundbeck A/S, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coste
authors.affiliation: Global Analytics, Lundbeck A/S, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rahhali
authors.affiliation: University College London, London, UK paul.wallace@nihr.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult