Alcohol-related advice for Veterans Affairs primary care patients: Who gets it? Who gives it?

Objective: Most patients who misuse alcohol do not receive alcohol counseling from their providers. This study evaluated primary care patient and provider characteristics associated with receipt of alcohol-related advice and whether patients were advised to drink less or to abstain. Method: Outpatients from seven Veterans Affairs (VA) general medicine clinics were eligible if they screened positive for alcohol misuse, completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and answered questions about alcohol-related treatment and advice. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to evaluate patient and provider characteristics associated with patient reports of alcohol-related advice from a primary care provider in the past year. Results: Among 5191 patients with alcohol misuse in the past year, 1554 (30%) reported receiving alcohol-related advice from their primary care provider during that time. Of patients advised, 73% reported advice to abstain. The likelihood of reporting advice increased as...