Do Doctors’ Drinking Habits Affect Management of Patients’ Alcohol Problems?

Two different studies explored whether a physician’s approach to his patients’ alcohol use is complicated by his own drinking habits. Kaner et al interviewed 29 general practitioners (GPs) in Northern England and found the following:

• Some GPs felt that their own alcohol use provided them insight into their patients’ use and helped facilitate discussion with patients. Others, however, separated their drinking from their patients’ drinking.
• Some GPs recognized and addressed risk only in patients who drank more or differently from them.

Aalto et al surveyed all Finnish primary care physicians (n=3193), 60% of whom completed all survey questions (63% women; mean age 42 years).

• Of these respondents, 15% (7% of women, 27% of men) were heavy drinkers, scoring >=8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Fifty-nine percent offered brief interventions (BIs)—9% regularly and 50% occasionally.
• In analyses controlling for demographic and training characteristics, AUDIT scores did not predict either regular or occasional use of BIs.

Comments:

Physician drinking can influence clinical practices around alcohol issues. It does not appear, however, to explain the infrequent use of brief interventions.

Jeffrey H. Samet, MD, MA, MPH

Reference:

Kaner E, Rapley T, May C. Seeing through the glass darkly? A qualitative exploration of GPs’ drinking and their alcohol intervention practices. Fam Pract. 2006;23(4):481–487.

Aalto M, Hyvönen S, Seppa K. Do primary care physicians’ own AUDIT scores predict their use of brief alcohol intervention? A cross-sectional survey. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2006;83(2):169–173.