TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Missed opportunities by health care providers to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the use of alcohol treatment services JO - Drug and alcohol dependence A1 - Pinedo, Miguel SP - e108851 EP - e108851 VL - 226 IS - N2 - OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate racial/ethnic differences in being offered information on alcohol treatment options by a health care provider; and (2) conduct stratified subgroup analyses to explore racial/ethnic differences in the use of alcohol treatment utilization among those who have received information on alcohol treatment services by a health care provider.

METHODS: Data from National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015-2017) was used. Analyses were restricted to adult White, Black, and Latino participants who met diagnostic criteria for a past-year alcohol use disorder (AUD) and reported visiting a health care provider in the past-year (n = 4,939). A multivariable logistic regression model was estimated to investigate differences in being offered information on alcohol treatment by a health care provider by race/ethnicity. A sub analysis that was limited to participants who reported receiving information on alcohol treatment services by a health care provider (n = 481) was also conducted to explore racial/ethnic differences in treatment utilization.

RESULTS: Overall, health care providers rarely provided information on alcohol treatment services to persons with AUD. In multivariable analyses, Latinos were less likely to receive information on alcohol treatment services than Whites, but no White-Black differences were documented. When analyses were restricted to those who had received information on alcohol treatment options, no racial/ethnic differences in the use of alcohol treatment services were found.

CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers can potentially encourage use of alcohol treatment among those in need and contribute to reducing existing alcohol-related racial/ethnic disparities.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0376-8716 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108851 ID - ref1 ER -