NIAAA Guide Helps Physicians Treat Alcoholics

The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has updated its free guide for primary care and mental health professionals, Helping Patients Who Drink So Much, adding new resources and information. The guide presents a user-friendly approach to screening, diagnosing and managing patients with drinking problems.

From a new dedicated Web page, the NIAAA offers links and download forms supporting the guide, including:

• The Clinician's Guide
  
• The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (PDF)
  
• Assessment Support Materials (PDF)
  
• Baseline and Follow up Progress Notes (PDF)
  
• Power Point Slide Show (PPT)

This 80-slide PowerPoint show helps instructors teach the guide to students and professionals in general medicine and mental health fields. It presents a step-by-step look at the process for alcohol screening, brief intervention and supporting materials.

Medscape offers physicians and nurses 1.5 CME/CE credits for the guide instructionm accirding to the NIAAA.

More Information:

• Brief Interventions Effective for Some Drinking Problems
  
• Healthcare System Can Catch Alcohol Problems Earlier
  
• Undiagnosed - Ignoring the Symptoms

^{Photo: NIAAA}