Risk-drinking

• The use of alcohol that is, or may become harmful, but where no addiction is present.

Effects

• Risky drinking has large impact on many of the common diagnoses in family medicine, such as hypertension, cardiac arythmia, depression, anxiety, insomnia etc.

The risk-drinking patients usually have no problem

to cut back alcohol consumption,

once they realize the connection to their health

problems.

GPs agree that it is important that patients with a risk-drinking profile are identified and get

advice on changing habits

BUT :

• 50% ask patients about use of alcohol

• 75% think they cannot influence how much their patients drink

• 97,1% wish to get more education in the field

The Risk-drinking Project

How to teach GPs an effective approach to achieve changes in their patients habits of

alcohol consumption

Three main points of strategy

• Forceful economic support by the government both to a national knowledge centre and to all of the country’s health care regions

• Use professional organisations

• Focus on education and networks

Issues about alcohol habits shall be a natural element in daily

health care in such a way that it reflects the importance alcohol has as a source of injuries and

illnesses

Goal

HOW ?

• PATIENT-CENTRED approach – is it in the interest of the patient ?

• EMPOWERMENT – to summon the powers within the patient.

• MI

Culture competence

• Methodology suited to the daily practices of doctors and nurses

Cave!”commando

training”

The risk-drinking workshop

• An educational model, using the experiences of the practitioner to overcome obstacles and fears when dealing with the risk-drinking patient:

BarriersFacts/experiencesMethods of Consultation /MI

Methodology

Combining the risk drinking workshop with training in motivational interviewing has proven to be successful.

OPPORTUNITY 1

• Has the patient noticed that his /her problem has a connection to alcohol ?

OPPORTUNITY 2

• Offer information in connection to the patients diagnosis

OPPORTUNITY 3

• Provide information on treatment .

OPPORTUNITY 4

• Introduce the idea of different sensibility.

OPPORTUNITY 5

• Test if there is a connection

OPPORTUNITY 6

• Lab tests

• NB To talk with the patient has a much higher sensitivity and specificity than most labresults

How to reach us

• www.fhi.se / riskbruksprojektet

• English version available at the site

• E-mail: asa(.)wetterqvist@fhi.se

Seven sub-projects

• Motivational Interviewing - MI

• General practitioners

• Specialist trainee doctors (ST-doctors)

• District nurses

• Maternity health care

• Child health care

• Occupational health