Alcohol screening during COVID-19 surges in an urban health system the United States

Prev Med Rep. 2023 Jun;33:102197. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102197. Epub 2023 Apr 3.

ABSTRACT

In 2021, over 50% of U.S. adults drank alcohol in the past month with over 25% reporting binge drinking, an increase over previous years. Alcohol use is associated with increased risk of accidents, poor birth outcomes, cancer, chronic diseases, and mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic alcohol consumption and alcohol-related deaths increased. National organizations recommend screening for unhealthy alcohol use in general health care settings as a prevention strategy. This observational study examined alcohol screening rates in primary care practices in Boston, MA in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, from July 2019 through May 2022. Screening rates were mapped, by month, to the number of COVID-19 cases. Alcohol screening dropped substantially during the first COVID-19 surge but steadily increased to baseline between the second and third surges. This decline was likely due to competing pandemic-related priorities (e.g., testing, urgent care) and the transition to telemedicine. While some health screening cannot be completed virtually, screening for alcohol is possible. Innovative workflow strategies (e.g., pre-visit screening via patient portals, support staff screening using virtual rooming processes) should be considered to avoid future interruptions of screening for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care.

PMID:37034300 | PMC:PMC10069086 | DOI:10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102197