TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Alcohol screening during COVID-19 surges in an urban health system the United States
JO  - Preventive medicine reports
A1  - Alford, Daniel P.
A1  - German, Jacqueline S.
A1  - Bangham, Candice
A1  - Harlowe, Amy
A1  - Greece, Jacey
SP  - e102197
EP  - e102197
VL  - 33
IS  - 
N2  - In 2021, over 50% of U.S. adults drank alcohol in the past month with over 25% reporting binge drinking, an increase over previous years. Alcohol use is associated with increased risk of accidents, poor birth outcomes, cancer, chronic diseases, and mortality. During the COVID-19 pandemic alcohol consumption and alcohol-related deaths increased. National organizations recommend screening for unhealthy alcohol use in general health care settings as a prevention strategy. This observational study examined alcohol screening rates in primary care practices in Boston, MA in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, from July 2019 through May 2022. Screening rates were mapped, by month, to the number of COVID-19 cases. Alcohol screening dropped substantially during the first COVID-19 surge but steadily increased to baseline between the second and third surges. This decline was likely due to competing pandemic-related priorities (e.g., testing, urgent care) and the transition to telemedicine. While some health screening cannot be completed virtually, screening for alcohol is possible. Innovative workflow strategies (e.g., pre-visit screening via patient portals, support staff screening using virtual rooming processes) should be considered to avoid future interruptions of screening for unhealthy alcohol use in primary care.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2211-3355
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2023.102197
ID  - ref1
ER  -