Southern Medical Journal · 1995 · 133 citations · 0 references
NursingPsychiatrySubstance Abuse CounselingSubstance Use DisordersSubstance Use PreventionAddiction AssessmentAlcohol DependenceAlcohol Use DisorderSubstance Abuse PreventionAlcohol ScreeningAlcohol Use Disorder ScreeningCutoff Score SettingDrug Use AssessmentDrug Use DisorderInternal Consistency ReliabilityMedical Chart ReviewPredictive Validity
This study was conducted to test the predictive validity of a new alcohol screening test, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), in a general medicine teaching clinic and to assess physician recognition and treatment of alcohol and drug disorders. The research procedures included completion of the AUDIT, a standardized diagnostic alcohol and drug assessment, an exit interview, and a chart review. The random sample comprised 132 recruited subjects. The internal reliability of the AUDIT was .77. The optimal cutoff score for the AUDIT in this sample was 5, with a sensitivity of .61 and specificity of .84. The exit interviews revealed that physicians asked their patients about alcohol use and drug use with 20% (n = 26) and 17% (n = 23) of the sample, respectively. Five of the 28 patients who met DSM-IIIR criteria had a diagnosis recorded in the chart.