Electronic Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for College Students With Increased Alcohol Use Risk

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an understanding of the health care provider's perceptions and experiences with technology adoption in alcohol use disorder and clinical Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).

Method: The study used an exploratory, multimethod strategy to gain a comprehensive understanding of facilitators and barriers to technology adoption in alcohol SBIRT in a primary care setting. However, although providers state that they understand the importance of screening patients for alcohol use disorder, only 15.4% of providers consistently screen. This study's primary aim was to gain insights of the study participants and what events or experiences help them with SBIRT adoption.

Results: The findings show a gap in the understanding of how to integrate behavioral health screenings in the primary care workflow using the electronic health record system. Providers want to do SBIRT in clinical care, yet time-constrained visits remain an issue.

Conclusions: Taking the time to map the workflow in advance of a practice change is a critical first step toward implementing it in a primary care setting. Time-constrained patient visits remain an ongoing problem and require novel methods to address issues, particularly in early identification of alcohol use disorder.