What does alcohol screening and treatment have to do with primary care?

Alcohol use causes an estimated 88,000 deaths yearly and is the third actual cause of death in the United States. Primary care is recognized as an ideal context for the implementation of alcohol screening, intervention, and management processes, given the high exposure and contact with impacted populations. This module discusses the evidence-based guidelines for identification and treatment of unhealthy alcohol use.

Learning Objectives

After completing this module, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the evidence-based guidelines for identification and treatment of unhealthy alcohol use.
• Describe the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment (SBIRT).
• Apply the SBIRT Change Guide 1.0 five key clinical changes.

Who should complete this module?

Primary care clinicians and staff

How do I navigate this module?

Module navigation utilizes adult learning principles, allowing you the learner to access any of the module content in the order you choose. The module content is presented in a recommended sequence; however, you can click through the module as you like. If you want to earn AAFP CME credit, you must complete each section of the module.

The project described was supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1G1-14-001 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM), a four-year initiative, is funded by up to $65 million from CMS. The content provided is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.