Feasibility and acceptability of an audio computer-assisted self-interview version of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in primary care patients

Cannabis Use Reported by Patients Receiving Primary Care in a Large Health System

Importance

Despite the changing legal status of cannabis and the potential impact on health, few health systems routinely screen for cannabis use, and data on the epidemiology of cannabis use, and especially medical cannabis use among primary care patients, are limited.

Objective

To describe the prevalence of, factors associated with, and reasons for past-3 month cannabis use reported by primary care patients.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used electronic health record data from patients aged 18 years and older who had an annual wellness visit between January 2021 and May 2023 from a primary care clinic within a university-based health system in Los Angeles, California.

Exposures

Factors of interest included age, race and ethnicity, sex, employment status, and neighborhood Area Deprivation Index (ADI).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Cannabis use was assessed using the Alcohol Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Patients were also asked about reasons for use, symptoms for which they used cannabis, and mode of use.

Results

Among the 175 734 patients screened, the median (range) age was 47 (18-102) years; 101 657 (58.0%) were female; 25 278 (15.7%) were Asian, 21 971 (13.7%) were Hispanic, and 51 063 (31.7%) were White. Cannabis use was reported by 29 898 (17.0%), with 10 360 (34.7%) having ASSIST scores indicative of moderate to high risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Prevalence of cannabis use was higher among male patients than female patients (14 939 [20.0%] vs 14 916 [14.7%]) and younger patients (18-29 years, 7592 [31.0%]; ≥60 years, 4200 [8.5%]), and lower among those who lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (ADI decile 9-10, 189 [13.8%]; ADI decile 1-2, 12 431 [17.4%]). The most common modes of use included edibles (18 201 [61.6%]), smoking (15 256 [51.7%]), and vaporizing (8555 [29.0%]). While 4375 patients who reported using cannabis (15.6%) did so for medical reasons only, 21 986 patients (75.7%) reported using cannabis to manage symptoms including pain (9196 [31.7%]), stress (14 542 [50.2%]), and sleep (16 221 [56.0%]). The median (IQR) number of symptoms managed was 2 (1-4), which was higher among patients who were at moderate to high risk for CUD (4 [2-6] symptoms).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, cannabis use and risk of CUD were common, and more than three-quarters of patients who reported any cannabis use reported doing so to manage a health-related symptom. These findings suggest that integration of information regarding cannabis use for symptom management could help provide a crucial point-of-care opportunity for clinicians to understand their patients' risk for CUD.

Moral injury and substance use among United States healthcare workers

Moral injury (i.e., perpetrating, witnessing, failing to prevent, or being a victim of acts that transgress one's moral beliefs, values, or ethics) has largely been studied in military-connected populations and is associated with a range of adverse psychological sequelae. Emerging literature suggests that healthcare workers also experience moral injury, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is not known if moral injury contributes to substance use among healthcare workers or whether these effects might differ by gender, race/ethnicity, or occupational level. In March 2022, we collected self-reported pilot data from a diverse sample of US healthcare workers (N = 200) We examined the cross-sectional relationships between moral injury and several measures of substance use (i.e., current non-medical use of prescription drugs [NMUPD], current cannabis use, current use of other illicit drugs, and hazardous drinking) using separate logistic regression models. Next, we used separate interaction models to examine if any of these relations differed by gender, race/ethnicity, or occupational level. In main effects models, healthcare workers reporting greater moral injury had greater odds of current NMUPD (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.07; p < 0.001), current use of other illicit drugs (aOR = 1.09; p < 0.01), and hazardous drinking (aOR = 1.07; p < 0.01). These relations did not differ by race/ethnicity or occupational level (ps > 0.05); however, men were more likely to report current NMUPD and hazardous drinking (ps < 0.05) in the presence of high moral injury than women healthcare workers. Our findings suggest that healthcare workers experience substantial distress related to morally injurious events, which may affect their likelihood of NMUPD, cannabis use, use of other illicit drugs, and hazardous drinking, and that men in healthcare may be particularly at risk. Healthcare organizations should address systemic issues driving moral injury (e.g., resource shortages, lack of psychosocial support) to prevent substance-related harms among healthcare workers.

Differential effects of healthcare worker burnout on psychotropic medication use and misuse by occupational level

PURPOSE

Burnout has been well examined among physicians and other high-wage, high-autonomy healthcare positions. However, lower-wage healthcare workers with less workplace autonomy (e.g., medical assistants, nurses' aides) represent a substantial proportion of the workforce, but remain understudied. We aimed to examine the effects of burnout on psychotropic medication use and misuse and whether these effects differed by occupational level.

METHODS

In March 2022, we collected data from a diverse sample of US healthcare workers (N = 200) and examined the cross-sectional relationship between burnout and changes in prescribed psychotropic medication (i.e., starting, stopping, and/or having a change in the dose/frequency) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also separately examined the relationship between burnout and psychotropic medication misuse (i.e., without a prescription, in greater amounts, more often, longer than prescribed, and/or for a reason other than prescribed). We stratified models by occupational level (prescribers/healthcare administrators vs. other healthcare workers).

RESULTS

Greater burnout was associated with higher odds of changes in prescribed psychotropic medication among prescribers/healthcare administrators (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.01, 1.48), but not among other healthcare workers (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.98, 1.10). Greater burnout was not associated with psychotropic medication misuse among prescribers/healthcare administrators (aOR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.82, 1.12) but was associated with increased odds of psychotropic medication misuse among other healthcare workers (aOR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01, 1.14).

CONCLUSIONS

Potential disparities in help-seeking and healthcare access might manifest in non-medical use of prescription drugs among some healthcare workers, which has implications for worker safety and well-being.

Identifying available substance use disorder screening tests feasible for use in primary care: A systematic review

Substance use disorders substantially contribute to the global burden of disease. Early detection in primary care is recommended, and numerous screening tests are available. However, barriers to addictive disorder screening exist and the feasibility of using these tests in primary care is unclear. This study aims to identify available addictive disorder screening tests whose feasibility has been evaluated in primary care. This systematic literature review was performed using Pubmed, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases. The search strategy included four research topics: addictive disorders, screening, primary care, and feasibility. Selection criteria included published studies evaluating the feasibility of an addictive disorder screening test in primary care. Data were extracted for each included article, and each analyzed screening test. Of the 4911 articles selected, 20 were included and 16 screening tests were studied. Physician feasibility was evaluated with satisfaction questionnaires or qualitative studies, mainly measuring test administration time. Patient feasibility was measured using criteria including "ease of use", comprehension, or format preference. Self-administered formats were preferred, especially electronic versions. Overall, the TAPS (Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use) tool provides a good balance between ease of use, brevity of administration and more extensive screening for substance use disorders. Feasibility appears to be a set of heterogeneous criteria relating to users, including comprehension or satisfaction, and practical aspects, including administration time or format preference. The criteria synthesized in this review could serve as a basis for screening test feasibility studies in primary care given the absence of feasibility study guidelines.

Subthreshold opioid use disorder prevention (STOP) trial: a cluster randomized clinical trial: study design and methods

BACKGROUND

Preventing progression to moderate or severe opioid use disorder (OUD) among people who exhibit risky opioid use behavior that does not meet criteria for treatment with opioid agonists or antagonists (subthreshold OUD) is poorly understood. The Subthreshold Opioid Use Disorder Prevention (STOP) Trial is designed to study the efficacy of a collaborative care intervention to reduce risky opioid use and to prevent progression to moderate or severe OUD in adult primary care patients with subthreshold OUD.

METHODS

The STOP trial is a cluster randomized controlled trial, randomized at the PCP level, conducted in 5 distinct geographic sites. STOP tests the efficacy of the STOP intervention in comparison to enhanced usual care (EUC) in adult primary care patients with risky opioid use that does not meet criteria for moderate-severe OUD. The STOP intervention consists of (1) a practice-embedded nurse care manager (NCM) who provides patient participant education and supports primary care providers (PCPs) in engaging and monitoring patient-participants; (2) brief advice, delivered to patient participants by their PCP and/or prerecorded video message, about health risks of opioid misuse; and (3) up to 6 sessions of telephone health coaching to motivate and support behavior change. EUC consists of primary care treatment as usual, plus printed overdose prevention educational materials and an educational video on cancer screening. The primary outcome measure is self-reported number of days of risky (illicit or nonmedical) opioid use over 180 days, assessed monthly via text message using items from the Addiction Severity Index and the Current Opioid Misuse Measure. Secondary outcomes assess other substance use, mental health, quality of life, and healthcare utilization as well as PCP prescribing and monitoring behaviors. A mixed effects negative binomial model with a log link will be fit to estimate the difference in means between treatment and control groups using an intent-to-treat population.

DISCUSSION

Given a growing interest in interventions for the management of patients with risky opioid use, and the need for primary care-based interventions, this study potentially offers a blueprint for a feasible and effective approach to improving outcomes in this population.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04218201, January 6, 2020.

A Brief Screening and Assessment Tool for Opioid Use in Adults: Results from a Validation Study of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substances Tool

OBJECTIVES

This secondary analysis evaluated opioid-specific validation results of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substances (TAPS) tool for screening in primary care.

METHODS

This study is a secondary data analysis of the TAPS validation study. Performance of the TAPS tool for screening for unhealthy opioid use (with a score of 1+ for heroin and/or prescription opioids representing a positive screen) was evaluated. Discriminative ability was examined in comparison with reference standard measures across the spectrum of unhealthy opioid use: timeline follow-back with and without oral fluid testing identifying past-month use and the modified Composite International Diagnostic Interview for past-year problem use, opioid use disorder (OUD), and moderate-severe OUD.

RESULTS

In a sample of 2000 primary care patients, 114 screened positive for opioids on the TAPS tool. With a TAPS cutoff equal to 1+, the TAPS accurately identified past-month use, problem use, any OUD, and moderate-severe OUD (sensitivities = 68%-85%, specificities = 97%-98%, area under the curve = 0.80-0.91). When past-month use was expanded to include timeline follow-back with oral fluid testing, accuracy declined (52% sensitivity [95% confidence interval, 43%-60%], 98% specific [95% confidence interval, 97%-98%]).

CONCLUSIONS

While further testing in a larger population sample may be warranted, given their brevity, simplicity, and accuracy when self-administered, the TAPS opioid items can be used in primary care settings for a spectrum of unhealthy opioid use; however, self-disclosure remains an issue in primary care settings.

Patient motivation and preferences in changing co-occurring health risk behaviors in general hospital patients

OBJECTIVES

More than 60% of general hospital patients report ≥ 2 health risk behaviors (HRBs), i.e. tobacco smoking, at-risk alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and/or insufficient physical activity. This study investigates a) the association between numbers of HRBs and motivation to change, b) patient preferences for receiving feedback on HRBs, and c) patients' expected gain in quality of life if behavior change made.

METHODS

In 2020/2021, 256 18-64-year-old general hospital patients (72.1% of eligibles) reported on their motivation to change each of their HRBs. Associations between HRB number and motivation were assessed using multivariate linear regressions. Participants ranked HRBs concerning their interest in receiving feedback and concerning their expected gain in quality of life if behavior change occurred.

RESULTS

Higher HRB number was negatively related to motivation among at-risk alcohol users (p = 0.034); 24.6% expected gain in their quality of life from behavior change. Participants overall appeared more favorable to feedback about vegetable/fruit intake and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Unhealthier lifestyle may be accompanied by decreased motivation to change in at-risk alcohol users. In case of co-occurring HRBs, asking patients for expected gain in quality of life may help guiding intervention target.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Relying on patient selection only, may often leave substance-use unaddressed.

Listening to women and pregnant and postpartum people: Qualitative research to inform opioid use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum people

Background

The diagnosis of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) during pregnancy has increased 2-to-5-fold over the past decade and barriers to treatment are significant. Technology-based solutions have the potential to overcome these barriers and deliver evidence-based treatment. However, these interventions need to be informed by end-users. The goal of this study is to gain feedback from peripartum people with OUD and obstetric providers about a web-based OUD treatment program.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were conducted with peripartum people with OUD (n = 18) and focus groups were conducted with obstetric providers (n = 19). Feedback from these interviews informed the development of text message-based screening, brief phone-based intervention and referral to treatment program, called Listening to Women and Pregnant and Postpartum People (LTWP). Once developed, further qualitative interviews with peripartum people with OUD (n = 12) and obstetric providers (n = 21) were conducted to gather feedback about the LTWP program.

Results

Patients reported that a relationship with a trusted provider is paramount for treatment engagement. Providers reported that time constraints and complex patient needs prohibit them from treating OUD and that evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) are not implemented effectively in routine prenatal care. Neither patients nor providers were enthusiastic about our web-based intervention for OUD; thus, results were used to guide the development of LTWP to improve implementation of SBIRT during prenatal care.

Conclusions

End-user informed, technology-enhanced SBIRT has the potential to improve the implementation of SBIRT during routine prenatal care, and in turn, improve maternal and child health.

Clinicians' perceptions of barriers to cervical cancer screening for women living with behavioral health conditions: a focus group study

Background

Women with behavioral health (BH) conditions (e.g., mental illness and substance abuse) receive fewer cervical cancer (CC) screenings, are diagnosed at more advanced cancer stages, and are less likely to receive specialized treatments. The aim of this study was to identify barriers that healthcare providers face in providing CC screening to women with BH conditions.

Methods

Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we conducted four focus groups in North Florida with 26 primary care and BH clinicians and staff to examine perceived barriers to CC screening among their patients with BH conditions to guide the future development of a tailored cervical cancer screening and follow-up intervention. Thematic analysis was used to analyze verbatim transcripts from audiotaped focus groups.

Results

Three main themes of barriers emerged from the data: 1) BH conditions related barriers included a history of trauma, stigma and discrimination, and uncontrolled comorbid conditions, 2) System level barriers related to lack of integration between BH and primary care, and 3) Similar barriers to the general population including lack of health insurance, insufficient processes to send out reminders, and challenges with communicating with patients.

Conclusions

Tailored CC screening interventions that address the unique needs of women with BH conditions are needed. Strategies that address improving trust between patients and healthcare providers, identifying avenues to improve receipt of screening during time-limited clinical visits, connecting BH and primary care providers, and addressing the social determinants of health have potential to improve CC screening rates for women with BH conditions.

Patient and provider perspectives on self-administered electronic substance use and mental health screening in HIV primary care

Background

Substance use disorders, depression and anxiety disproportionately affect people with HIV (PWH) and lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Routine screening can help address these problems but is underutilized. This study sought to describe patient and provider perspectives on the acceptability and usefulness of systematic electronic, self-administered screening for tobacco, alcohol, other substance use, and mental health symptoms among patients in HIV primary care.

Methods

Screening used validated instruments delivered pre-appointment by both secure messaging and clinic-based tablets, with results integrated into the electronic health record (EHR). Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 9 HIV primary care providers and 12 patients in the 3 largest HIV primary care clinics in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health system who participated in a clinical trial evaluating computerized screening and behavioral interventions was conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. A thematic approach was utilized for coding and analysis of interview data using a combination of deductive and inductive methods.

Results

Four key themes were identified: (1) perceived clinical benefit of systematic, electronic screening and EHR integration for providers and patients; (2) usefulness of having multiple methods of questionnaire completion; (3) importance of the patient–provider relationship to facilitate completion and accurate reporting; and (4) barriers, include privacy and confidentiality concerns about reporting sensitive information, particularly about substance use, and potential burden from repeated screenings.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that electronic, self-administered substance use and mental health screening is acceptable to patients and may have clinical utility to providers. While offering different methods of screening completion can capture a wider range of patients, a strong patient–provider relationship is a key factor in overcoming barriers and ensuring accurate patient responses. Further investigation into facilitators, barriers, and utility of electronic screening for PWH and other high-priority patient populations is indicated.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03217058. Registered 13 July 2017, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03217058

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13722-022-00293-7.

Leveraging technology to address unhealthy drug use in primary care: Effectiveness of the Substance use Screening and Intervention Tool (SUSIT)

Background: Screening for unhealthy drug use is now recommended for adult primary care patients, but primary care providers (PCPs) generally lack the time and knowledge required to screen and deliver an intervention during the medical visit. To address these barriers, we developed a tablet computer-based 'Substance Use Screening and Intervention Tool (SUSIT)'. Using the SUSIT, patients self-administer screening questionnaires prior to the medical visit, and results are presented to the PCP at the point of care, paired with clinical decision support (CDS) that guides them in providing a brief intervention (BI) for unhealthy drug use. Methods: PCPs and their patients with moderate-risk drug use were recruited from primary care and HIV clinics. A pre-post design compared a control 'screening only' (SO) period to an intervention 'SUSIT' period. Unique patients were enrolled in each period. In both conditions, patients completed screening and identified their drug of most concern (DOMC) before the visit, and completed a questionnaire about BI delivery by the PCP after the visit. In the SUSIT condition only, PCPs received the tablet with the patient's screening results and CDS. Multilevel models with random intercepts and patients nested within PCPs examined the effect of the SUSIT intervention on PCP delivery of BI. Results: 20 PCPs and 79 patients (42 SO, 37 SUSIT) participated. Most patients had moderate-risk marijuana use (92.4%), and selected marijuana as the DOMC (68.4%). Moderate-risk use of drugs other than marijuana included cocaine (15.2%), hallucinogens (12.7%), and sedatives (12.7%). Compared to the SO condition, patients in SUSIT had higher odds of receiving any BI for drug use, with an adjusted odds ratio of 11.59 (95% confidence interval: 3.39, 39.25), and received more elements of BI for drug use. Conclusions: The SUSIT significantly increased delivery of BI for drug use by PCPs during routine primary care encounters.

Screening for Unhealthy Alcohol and Drug Use in General Medicine Settings

Unhealthy alcohol and drug use are among the top 10 causes of preventable death in the United States, but they are infrequently identified and addressed in medical settings. Guidelines recommend screening adult primary care patients for alcohol and drug use, and routine screening should be a component of high-quality clinical care. Brief, validated screening tools accurately detect unhealthy alcohol and drug use, and their thoughtful implementation can facilitate adoption and optimize the quality of screening results. Recommendations for implementation include patient self-administered screening tools, integration with electronic health records, and screening during routine primary care visits.

Comparison of Methods for Alcohol and Drug Screening in Primary Care Clinics

IMPORTANCE

Guidelines recommend that adult patients receive screening for alcohol and drug use during primary care visits, but the adoption of screening in routine practice remains low. Clinics frequently struggle to choose a screening approach that is best suited to their resources, workflows, and patient populations.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate how to best implement electronic health record (EHR)-integrated screening for substance use by comparing commonly used screening methods and examining their association with implementation outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This article presents the outcomes of phases 3 and 4 of a 4-phase quality improvement, implementation feasibility study in which researchers worked with stakeholders at 6 primary care clinics in 2 large urban academic health care systems to define and implement their optimal screening approach. Site A was located in New York City and comprised 2 clinics, and site B was located in Boston, Massachusetts, and comprised 4 clinics. Clinics initiated screening between January 2017 and October 2018, and 93 114 patients were eligible for screening for alcohol and drug use. Data used in the analysis were collected between January 2017 and October 2019, and analysis was performed from July 13, 2018, to March 23, 2021.

INTERVENTIONS

Clinics integrated validated screening questions and a brief counseling script into the EHR, with implementation supported by the use of clinical champions (ie, clinicians who advocate for change, motivate others, and use their expertise to facilitate the adoption of an intervention) and the training of clinic staff. Clinics varied in their screening approaches, including the type of visit targeted for screening (any visit vs annual examinations only), the mode of administration (staff-administered vs self-administered by the patient), and the extent to which they used practice facilitation and EHR usability testing.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Data from the EHRs were extracted quarterly for 12 months to measure implementation outcomes. The primary outcome was screening rate for alcohol and drug use. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of unhealthy alcohol and drug use detected via screening, and clinician adoption of a brief counseling script.

RESULTS

Patients of the 6 clinics had a mean (SD) age ranging from 48.9 (17.3) years at clinic B2 to 59.1 (16.7) years at clinic B3, were predominantly female (52.4% at clinic A1 to 64.6% at clinic A2), and were English speaking. Racial diversity varied by location. Of the 93,114 patients with primary care visits, 71.8% received screening for alcohol use, and 70.5% received screening for drug use. Screening at any visit (implemented at site A) in comparison with screening at annual examinations only (implemented at site B) was associated with higher screening rates for alcohol use (90.3%-94.7% vs 24.2%-72.0%, respectively) and drug use (89.6%-93.9% vs 24.6%-69.8%). The 5 clinics that used a self-administered screening approach had a higher detection rate for moderate- to high-risk alcohol use (14.7%-36.6%) compared with the 1 clinic that used a staff-administered screening approach (1.6%). The detection of moderate- to high-risk drug use was low across all clinics (0.5%-1.0%). Clinics with more robust practice facilitation and EHR usability testing had somewhat greater adoption of the counseling script for patients with moderate-high risk alcohol or drug use (1.4%-12.5% vs 0.1%-1.1%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this quality improvement study, EHR-integrated screening was feasible to implement in all clinics and unhealthy alcohol use was detected more frequently when self-administered screening was used at any primary care visit. The detection of drug use was low at all clinics, as was clinician adoption of counseling. These findings can be used to inform the decision-making of health care systems that are seeking to implement screening for substance use.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02963948.

Atrial fibrillation self screening, management and guideline recommended therapy (AF SELF SMART): A protocol for atrial fibrillation self-screening in general practice

BACKGROUND

Opportunistic screening for silent atrial fibrillation (AF) is recommended to reduce stroke, but screening rates are sub-optimal in general practice. We hypothesize that patient self-screening in the waiting room may improve screening and detection of AF.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

This proof-of-concept study tests a purpose-designed AF self-screening station and customised software which seamlessly integrates with general practice electronic medical records and workflow. The self-screening station records a lead-1 ECG. The software automatically (1) identifies eligible patients (aged ≥65 years, no AF diagnosis) from the practice appointment diary; (2) sends eligible patients an automated SMS reminder prior to their appointment; (3) creates individualised QR code to scan at self-screening station; and (4) imports the ECG and result directly into the patients' electronic medical record. Between 5 and 8 general practices in New South Wales, Australia, will participate with an aim of 1500 patients undertaking self-screening. The main outcome measures will be the proportion of eligible patients that undertook self-screening, incidence of newly-diagnosed AF, and patient and staff experience of the self-screening process. De-identified data will be collected using a clinical audit tool, and qualitative interviews will determine patient and staff acceptability.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was received from the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee in June 2019 (Project no: 2019/382) and the University of Notre Dame Human Research Ethics Committee (Project no: 019145S) in October 2019. Results will be disseminated through various forums, including peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.Trial registration numberACTRN12620000233921.

Excessive substance use screening to encourage behaviour change among young people in primary care: Pilot study in preparation for a randomized trial

INTRODUCTION

Alcohol, cannabis and other substance use affects young people's health. Primary care physicians are encouraged to screen and provide brief interventions for substance use in this population, but implementation is often limited. Pre-consultation self-administered screening may decrease at-risk substance use and could have population-level benefits. A randomized controlled trial is planned to test this hypothesis. The present pilot study's objective was to assess the feasibility of methods for the future trial.

METHODS

The parallel-group randomized controlled pilot trial was undertaken in 6 primary care practices in Geneva, Switzerland, over 2 months. 29 patients aged 15-24 years consulting for any reason were randomly assigned to intervention (substance use screening, n = 14) or control (physical activity questionnaire, n = 15) using computer-generated random number tables. Outcomes were assessed one month later by telephone questionnaire. Physicians, practice staff and outcome assessors were blinded to allocation. The primary outcomes were feasibility of procedures and acceptability to participants, primary care physicians and practice staff.

RESULTS

Of 16 participants reached at follow-up, 3 reported excessive substance use. Methods were acceptable to all participants, especially regarding confidentiality. Three participants were lost due to technical difficulties with the consent form. No major problems with study methods were reported in the practices. 4 practices did not meet recruitment targets.

CONCLUSION

The study procedures proved to be feasible in primary care practices and acceptable to young people who were readily available to participate. The main challenge for the future full-sized trial will be to ensure that recruitment targets can be met.

Electronic self-administered screening for substance use in adult primary care patients: feasibility and acceptability of the tobacco, alcohol, prescription medication, and other substance use (myTAPS) screening tool

Background

The TAPS Tool is a substance use screening and brief assessment instrument that was developed for use in primary care medical settings. It is one of the first screening instruments to provide rapid assessment of all commonly used substance classes, including illicit and prescription opioids, and is one of the only available screeners designed and validated in an electronic self-administered format (myTAPS). This secondary analysis of data from the TAPS Tool validation study describes the feasibility and acceptability of the myTAPS among primary care patients.

Methods

Adult patients (N = 2000) from five primary care clinics completed the TAPS Tool on a tablet computer (myTAPS), and in an interviewer-administered format. Requests for assistance and time required were tracked, and participants completed a survey on ease of use, utilization of audio guidance, and format preference. Logistic regression was used to examine outcomes in defined subpopulations, including groups that may have greater difficulty completing an electronic screener, and those that may prefer an electronic self-administered approach.

Results

Almost all participants (98.3%) reported that the myTAPS was easy to use. The median time to complete myTAPS screening was 4.0 min (mean 4.48, standard deviation 2.57). More time was required by participants who were older, Hispanic, Black, or reported non-medical prescription drug use, while less time was required by women. Assistance was requested by 25% of participants, and was more frequently requested by those who with lower education (OR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.62–2.67) or age > 65 years (OR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.98–3.93). Audio guidance was utilized by 18.3%, and was more frequently utilized by participants with lower education (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.54–2.63), age > 65 years (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.22–2.61), or Black race (OR = 1.30, 95% 1.01–1.68). The myTAPS format was preferred by women (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.00–1.66) and individuals with drug use (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.09–1.88), while participants with lower education preferred the interviewer-administered format (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 2.00–3.78).

Conclusions

Overall, myTAPS screening was feasible and well accepted by adult primary care patients. Clinics adopting electronic screening should be prepared to offer assistance to some patients, particularly those who are older or less educated, and should have the capacity to use an interviewer-administered approach when required.

Electronic screening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care waiting rooms - A pilot project

Background: In primary care, electronic self-administered screening and brief interventions for unhealthy alcohol may overcome some of the implementation barriers of face-to-face intervention. We developed an anonymous electronic self-administered screening brief intervention device for unhealthy alcohol use and assessed its feasibility and acceptability in primary care practice waiting rooms. Two modes of delivery were compared: with or without the presence of a research assistant (RA) to make patients aware of the device's presence and help users. Using the device was optional. Methods: The devices were placed in 10 participating primary care practices waiting rooms for 6 weeks, and were accessible on a voluntary basis. Number of appointments by each practice during the course of the study was recorded. Access to the electronic brief intervention was voluntary among those who screened positive. Screening and brief intervention rates and characteristics of users were compared across the modes of delivery. Results: During the study, there were 7270 appointments and 1511 individuals used the device (20.8%). Mean age of users was 45.3 (19.5), and 57.9% screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use. Of them, 53.8% accessed the brief intervention content. The presence of the RA had a major impact on the device's usage (59.6% vs 17.4% when absent). When the RA was present, participants were less likely to screen positive (49.4% vs 60.7%, P = 0.0003) but more likely to access the intervention (62.7% vs 51.4%, P = 0.009). Results from the satisfaction survey indicated that users found the device easy to use (93.5%), questions useful (89-95%) and 77.2% reported that their friends would be willing to use it. Conclusions: This pilot project indicates that the implementation of an electronic screening and brief intervention device for unhealthy alcohol is feasible and acceptable in primary care practices but that, without human support, its use is rather limited.

Alcohol-related emergency department admissions in an elderly population

OBJECTIVE

Alcohol abuse remains a major health concern. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of alcohol-related emergency department (ED) admissions in an elderly population.

METHODS

Between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014, we retrospectively analyzed patient charts of patients admitted with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.5 g/L to the EDs of all five hospitals in two distinct areas. We focused on the population ≥65 years, divided in three subgroups (65-74, 75-84 and ≥85, respectively) and compared them to the 55-64 year group.

RESULTS

Of the 3918 included patients 645 (16.5%) were between 55 and 64, and 406 (10.4%) were ≥65 years (65-74: 267, 6.8%; 75-84: 128, 3.3%; ≥85: 11, 0.3%). The male-to-female ratio ranged between 2.1:1 and 2.7:1. BACs decreased with increasing age. In all age groups the majority of patients (71.0-77.8%) were transported by emergency medical services. The chief presenting complaint was trauma and its relative importance increased with age. Contextual factors consisted mostly of chronic abuse (43.1-57.8%). Most frequently patients could be discharged within 24 h, although hospital admission rates increased with age.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that alcohol-related ED admissions in the elderly are common, but less frequent than in younger age groups. More (preferentially prospective) studies are needed to give more insight in the living environment, prescription medication, socioeconomic cost, etc. Nonetheless, it is clear that a national action plan should be developed to tackle the alcohol abuse problem in all age groups.

Methods, system errors, and demographic differences in participant errors using daily text message-based short message service computer-assisted self-interview (SMS-CASI) to measure sexual risk behavior in a RCT of HIV self-test use

BACKGROUND

Assessment of sexual risk behavior is crucial to HIV prevention trials. Currently, there are no biomarkers or objective measures to detect and characterize sexual risk behavior; therefore, we must rely on self-reports. Self-report accuracy may be improved by collecting data in real-time. Our objective was to demonstrate how a text message-based short message service computer-assisted self-interview (SMS-CASI) system can collect daily sexual risk behavior data.

METHODS

During the course of a 2-arm randomized controlled trial, confidential daily SMS-CASI was used to assess sexual risk behavior over three months for participants using only condoms in the control condition and using condoms and HIV self-tests to test themselves and their non-monogamous sexual partner over six months for participants in the intervention condition (total N=272). Active monitoring of participants responses and data cleaning took place concurrently with trial execution. Descriptive statistics were used to examine frequencies related to system functionality, participant reporting, system errors, communication patterns, and overall feasibility of using the SMS-CASI system for reporting sexual risk behavior.

RESULTS

The SMS-CASI system processed 272,565 messages. In addition, 87 classifications of metadata were collected, for a total of 22,895,460 different data points. Types of messages included these sent (N=171,749; 63.01%) to participants, received (N=100,646; 36.93%) from participants, and failed (N=168; 0.06%) to be sent. Most errors (N=1,858) were due to system malfunctions (N=535; 28.79%) or participants' mistakes (N=1,289; 69.38%). Participant errors included: wrong password, incomplete surveys, and invalid response. The highest error rates by demographic characteristics were by age among older participants [ages 30-39; 383 errors (29.71%), and 40-69; 545 errors (42.28%)] and by race among Hispanic/Latino participants [487 errors (37.78%)].

CONCLUSIONS

The SMS-CASI system was effective at confidentially collecting sexual risk behavior data on a daily basis, potentially contributing to reduced recall and social desirability bias. This study provides methodological examples and data demonstrating how SMS-CASI can be used for sexual health data collection.

Use of Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviews to Gather Information on Risk Behaviors in a Population of Pregnant Adolescents

In a prospective study comparing the use of the Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) with a traditional clinical interview in 40 pregnant adolescents, there was significantly greater disclosure of violence with the ACASI method. Better identification of high-risk behaviors may help to optimize care and programing for pregnant adolescents.

A qualitative study examining the benefits and challenges of incorporating patient-reported outcome substance use and mental health questionnaires into clinical practice to improve outcomes on the HIV care continuum

Background

Inadequate identification and treatment of substance use (SU) and mental health (MH) disorders hinders retention in HIV care. The objective of this study was to elicit stakeholder input on integration of SU/MH screening using computer-assisted patient-reported outcomes (PROs) into clinical practice.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with HIV-positive patients who self-reported SU/MH symptoms on a computer-assisted PROs (n = 19) and HIV primary care providers (n = 11) recruited from an urban academic HIV clinic. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. We iteratively developed codes and organized key themes using editing style analysis.

Results

Two themes emerged: (1) Honest Disclosure: Some providers felt PROs might improve SU/MH disclosure; more were concerned that patients would not respond honestly if their provider saw the results. Patients were also divided, stating PROs could help overcome stigma but that it could be harder to disclose SU/MH to a computer versus a live person. (2) Added Value in the Clinical Encounter: Most providers felt PROs would fill a practice gap. Patients had concerns regarding confidentiality but indicated PROs would help providers take better care of them.

Conclusions

Both patients and providers indicated that PROs are potentially useful clinical tools to improve detection of SU/MH. However, patients and providers expressed conflicting viewpoints about disclosure of SU/MH using computerized PROs. Future studies implementing PROs screening interventions must assess concerns over confidentiality and honest disclosure of SU/MH to understand the effectiveness of PROs as a clinical tool. More research is also needed on patient-centered integration of the results of PROs in HIV care.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3203-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Barriers and facilitators affecting the implementation of substance use screening in primary care clinics: a qualitative study of patients, providers, and staff

Background

Alcohol and drug use are leading causes of morbidity and mortality that frequently go unidentified in medical settings. As part of a multi-phase study to implement electronic health record-integrated substance use screening in primary care clinics, we interviewed key clinical stakeholders to identify current substance use screening practices, barriers to screening, and recommendations for its implementation.

Methods

Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 67 stakeholders, including patients, primary care providers (faculty and resident physicians), nurses, and medical assistants, in two urban academic health systems. Themes were identified using an inductive approach, revised through an iterative process, and mapped to the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework, which guides the implementation of new clinical practices (Graham et al. in J Contin Educ Health Prof 26(1):13–24, 2006).

Results

Factors affecting implementation based on KTA elements were identified from participant narratives. Identifying the problem: Participants consistently agreed that having knowledge of a patient’s substance use is important because of its impacts on health and medical care, that substance use is not properly identified in medical settings currently, and that universal screening is the best approach. Assessing barriers: Patients expressed concerns about consequences of disclosing substance use, confidentiality, and the individual’s own reluctance to acknowledge a substance use problem. Barriers identified by providers included individual-level factors such as lack of clinical knowledge and training, as well as systems-level factors including time pressure, resources, lack of space, and difficulty accessing addiction treatment. Adapting to the local context: Most patients and providers stated that the primary care provider should play a key role in substance use screening and interventions. Opinions diverged regarding the optimal approach to delivering screening, although most preferred a patient self-administered approach. Many providers reported that taking effective action once unhealthy substance use is identified is crucial.

Conclusions

Participants expressed support for substance use screening as a valuable part of medical care, and identified individual-level as well as systems-level barriers to its implementation. These findings suggest that screening programs should clearly communicate the goals of screening to patients and proactively counteract stigma, address staff concerns regarding time and workflow, and provide education as well as treatment resources to primary care providers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13722-018-0110-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Screening for Behavioral Health Conditions in Primary Care Settings: A Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence indicates that early recognition and treatment of behavioral health disorders can prevent complications, improve quality of life, and help reduce health care costs. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify and evaluate publicly available, psychometrically tested tools that primary care physicians (PCPs) can use to screen adult patients for common mental and substance use disorders such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders.

METHODS

We followed the Institute of Medicine (IOM) systematic review guidelines and searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Health and Psychosocial Instruments databases to identify literature addressing tools for screening of behavioral health conditions. We gathered information on each tool's psychometrics, applicability in primary care, and characteristics such as number of items and mode of administration. We included tools focused on adults and the most common behavioral health conditions; we excluded tools designed for children, youth, or older adults; holistic health scales; and tools screening for serious but less frequently encountered disorders, such as bipolar disorder.

RESULTS

We identified 24 screening tools that met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen tools were subscales stemming from multiple-disorder assessments or tools that assessed more than one mental disorder or more than one substance use disorder in a single instrument. Nine were ultra-short, single-disorder tools. The tools varied in psychometrics and the extent to which they had been administered and studied in primary care settings.

DISCUSSION

Tools stemming from the Patient Health Questionnaire had the most testing and application in primary care settings. However, numerous other tools could meet the needs of primary care practices. This review provides information that PCPs can use to select appropriate tools to incorporate into a screening protocol.

Exploring the feasibility and acceptability of a recovery-focused group therapy intervention for adults with bipolar disorder: trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

Improving accessible, acceptable recovery-oriented service provision for people with bipolar disorder (BD) is an important priority. Mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive and behavioural therapies (or 'third -wave' CBT) may prove fruitful due to the considerable overlap between these approaches and key features of personal recovery. Groups also confer therapeutic benefits consistent with personal recovery and may improve recovery-oriented service provision by adding another modality for accessing support. The primary objective of this trial is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a new recovery-focused group therapy (RfGT) intervention for adults with BD. This is the first published feasibility assessment of a time-limited RfGTrecovery-focused group therapy intervention for BD.

METHODS/ ANALYSIS

This protocol describes an open feasibility study, utilising a pre-treatment design versus post- treatment design and nested qualitative evaluation. Participants will be recruited from the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, from primary care providers, specialist mental health services, non-government organisations and via self-referral. The primary outcomes are feasibility and acceptability as indexed by recruitment, retention, intervention adherence, adverse events (if any) and detailed consumer feedback. Clinical outcomes and process measures will be assessed to inform future research. Primary outcome data will utiliseuse descriptive statistics (eg, summarizingsummarising recruitment, demographics, attendance, attrition and intervention adherence). Secondary outcomes will be assessed using repeated-measures analysis of covariance across all time points (including change, effect size and variability).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been granted by the Northern Sydney Local Health District HREChuman research ethics committee (HREC) (HREC/16/HAWKE/69) and The University of Newcastle HREC (H-2016-0107). The Ffindings will be used to improve the intervention per user needs and preferences, and inform what amendments and/or information are required before a follow-on trial would be possible. This study contributes to a growing body of innovative, recovery-oriented innovations of psychological treatments for adults with BD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12616000887471; Pre-results.

Considerations for the Development of a Substance-Related Care and Prevention Continuum Model

There are significant gaps in the identification and engagement in care and prevention services of people who use illicit substances. Care continuum models have proven to be useful tools in the evaluation of care for HIV and other conditions; numerous issues in substance-related care and prevention resemble those identified in other continua models. Systems of care for substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs) can be viewed as consisting of a prevention and care continuum, reflecting incidence and prevalence of substance misuse and SUDs, screening and identification, medical and psychosocial evaluation for treatment, engagement in evidence-based treatment, treatment retention, relapse prevention, timeliness of step completion, and measures of overall and substance use-related specific morbidity and mortality. Care and prevention continuum models could potentially be applied at program, local, regional, state, and national levels. We discuss important lessons that can be drawn from applications of continuum models in other fields. The development and use of a substance-related care and prevention continuum may yield significant patient care, program evaluation and improvement, and population-level benefits.

Continuing Links Between Substance Use and HIV Highlight the Importance of Nursing Roles

Links between HIV and substance use were identified early in the U.S. HIV epidemic. People who use drugs are at risk of HIV infection through shared injection equipment and risky sexual behaviors. In addition, substance use has negative health consequences for people living with HIV. The prescription opioid misuse epidemic, linked to injection drug use, hepatitis C infection, and HIV, poses a new threat to declining HIV rates. We reviewed evidence-based interventions that decrease HIV risk in people who use drugs (needle/syringe programs, medication-assisted treatment, engagement in HIV care, and preexposure prophylaxis/postexposure prophylaxis). The critical roles of nurses in HIV prevention/care for this population are described, including applying the principles of harm reduction, screening for substance use, and undertaking implementation and research efforts. As the nation's largest health care profession, nurses are positioned to contribute to the quality of HIV-related prevention/care for people who use drugs and to lead practice initiatives.

Performance of the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication, and Other Substance Use (TAPS) Tool for Substance Use Screening in Primary Care Patients

BACKGROUND

Substance use, a leading cause of illness and death, is underidentified in medical practice.

OBJECTIVE

The Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) tool was developed to address the need for a brief screening and assessment instrument that includes all commonly used substances and fits into clinical workflows. The goal of this study was to assess the performance of the TAPS tool in primary care patients.

DESIGN

Multisite study, conducted within the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network, comparing the TAPS tool with a reference standard measure. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02110693).

SETTING

5 adult primary care clinics.

PARTICIPANTS

2000 adult patients consecutively recruited from clinic waiting areas.

MEASUREMENTS

Interviewer- and self-administered versions of the TAPS tool were compared with a reference standard, the modified World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), which measures problem use and substance use disorder (SUD).

RESULTS

Interviewer- and self-administered versions of the TAPS tool had similar diagnostic characteristics. For identifying problem use (at a cutoff of 1+), the TAPS tool had a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90 to 0.95) and specificity of 0.87 (CI, 0.85 to 0.89) for tobacco and a sensitivity of 0.74 (CI, 0.70 to 0.78) and specificity of 0.79 (CI, 0.76 to 0.81) for alcohol. For problem use of illicit and prescription drugs, sensitivity ranged from 0.82 (CI, 0.76 to 0.87) for marijuana to 0.63 (CI, 0.47 to 0.78) for sedatives; specificity was 0.93 or higher. For identifying any SUD (at a cutoff of 2+), sensitivity was lower.

LIMITATIONS

The low prevalence of some drug classes led to poor precision in some estimates. Research assistants were not blinded to participants' TAPS tool responses when they administered the CIDI.

CONCLUSION

In a diverse population of adult primary care patients, the TAPS tool detected clinically relevant problem substance use. Although it also may detect tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use disorders, further refinement is needed before it can be recommended broadly for SUD screening.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Validation of an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) version of the alcohol, smoking and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST) in primary care patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To address barriers to implementing the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in medical settings, we adapted the traditional interviewer-administered (IA) ASSIST to an audio-guided computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) format. This study sought to validate the ACASI ASSIST by estimating the concordance, correlation and agreement of scores generated using the ACASI versus the reference standard IA ASSIST. Secondary aims were to assess feasibility and compare ASSIST self-report to drug testing results.

DESIGN

Participants completed the ACASI and IA ASSIST in a randomly assigned order, followed by drug testing.

SETTING

Urban safety-net primary care clinic in New York City, USA.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 393 adult patients.

MEASUREMENTS

Scores generated by the ACASI and IA ASSIST; drug testing results from saliva and hair samples.

FINDINGS

Concordance between the ACASI and IA ASSIST in identifying moderate-high-risk use was 92-99% for each substance class. Correlation was excellent for global scores [intraclass correlation (ICC) = 0.937, confidence interval (CI) = 0.924-0.948] and for substance-specific scores for tobacco (ICC = 0.927, CI = 0.912-0.940), alcohol (ICC = 0.912, CI = 0.893-0.927) and illicit drugs (ICC = 0.854, CI = 0.854-0.900) and good for prescription drugs (ICC = 0.676, CI = 0.613-0.729). Ninety-four per cent of differences in global scores fell within anticipated limits of agreement. Among participants with a positive saliva test, 74% self-reported use on the ACASI ASSIST. The ACASI ASSIST required a median time of 3.7 minutes (range 0.7-15.4), and 21 (5.3%) participants requested assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

The computer self-administered Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test appears to be a valid alternative to the interviewer-administered approach for identifying substance use in primary care patients.