According to a recent study, a lack of time, resources, and a lack of community understanding of alcohol dangers limit the implementation of short treatments.
In Australia, alcohol is the most often used social drug, and overconsumption is a problem.
In 2019, 25% of persons aged 14 and above had more than four standard drinks in one sitting at least once a month, with those in their 50s eating 11 or more standard drinks in one sitting.
The expenses of alcohol and counselling treatments may be substantial, especially for low-income people. However, there is evidence that primary care is accessible and may play a significant role in lowering weekly alcohol use via short treatments (BIs).
However, according to a new study published in Oxford Academic, BIs are not always regularly delivered due to various hurdles within the healthcare system and the community.
Researchers questioned GPs, practice nurses, and patients to learn about their opinions on BIs, and important concerns found were a lack of time, clinical software limitations, and patient resources.
Dr. Liz Sturgiss, a Senior Study Fellow in the School of Primary and Allied Health Care at Monash University and a member of the RACGP's Specific Interests Addiction Medicine, led the research, which VicHealth sponsored as part of the REACH Project.
She said that when it comes to BIs or other preventative health measures in general practice, the emphasis is frequently on 'why the GP isn't doing what they're supposed to be doing, however, not in this instance.
Researcher Dr. Sturgiss explained that their study has revealed that things are occurring at several levels of the system that are not encouraging dialogues about alcohol between GPs and patients.
The results also highlighted Australian drinking norms and limited community understanding of alcohol hazards as major contributors, indicating that alcohol BIs in primary care may be further reinforced by community public health messaging regarding alcohol use.
During the study, physicians compare public health efforts to educate the population about the associated hazards of smoking with attempts to educate the community about the associated risks of drinking, where they often feel like they are starting at square one with the patient.
Dr. Sturgiss explained that participants said that not a single patient who enters [their] consultation room is unaware that smoking is very hazardous to one's health. And public health messaging has backed up that message.
Now compare it to booze.
There are tiny bits and pieces on alcohol packaging today. However, many consumers are unaware of the health risks.
The Melbourne GP also feels social media will play an important role.
She claims that headlines highlighting studies suggesting that moderate alcohol use is beneficial to health have contributed to the misunderstanding in this area, making it more difficult for practitioners.
Dr. Sturgiss explained that it really explains why these conversations are sometimes even more difficult in that general practice consultation room since you're starting not even from square one, so perhaps behind the blocks, trying to reverse some of this misleading information that people have hooked onto.
As a result, a vigorous public health message is required to address this.
All GPs mentioned a lack of appropriate time as an issue. Whilst this might be difficult to overcome in the near term, Dr Sturgiss advises doctors to consider the influence they can have over the course of several appointments rather than just one.
She said that when general practice is functioning well and to its full potential, we care for patients across years and decades.
The role of GPs and BIs is projected to become increasingly more significant in the coming months since data suggests that the epidemic has resulted in increased alcohol use.
According to Monash University research published in August, ambulance attendances for alcohol-related damages to houses rose by 9 percent in 2020, with those from socioeconomically advantaged regions being the most impacted.
Given the stigma associated with alcoholism, Dr. Sturgiss believes it is essential to be careful of how to approach the subject.
She said that alcohol is a strange one. Alcohol dependency is a highly stigmatised affliction, despite the fact that it is a widely acknowledged element of community and festivities.
A set of free materials have been designed to help GPs and are now accessible online for use in the waiting room and during consultations to stimulate conversations. A clinic waiting room poster and lifestyle questionnaire, as well as a BI flowchart and standard beverages guide, are among them.
The tools are also accessible in Arabic and Chinese, and some have been particularly developed to be very visual for people who struggle to read.
Author. Dr. Sturgiss explained that it is the major conclusion of this investigation, which is thrilling.
Adding that, when they launched the initiative, they quickly realised that there were very few tools available to assist GPs in having such conversations with patients. That is why we created the resources.
They’ve also created a visual diagram for GPs to use when discussing cancer risk and alcohol with their patients since it's something that people are reasonably involved in, and it can be a little bit of a hook.
