RICHMOND, Va. — When you visit your doctor for a routine check-up, you’re normally asked a range of questions about your physical and emotional health and wellness. However, a recent VCU research study suggests doctors in Virginia may not be asking their patients about something serious: How much alcohol they drink regularly?
“Unhealthy alcohol use is the fourth leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S.,” said Dr. Alex Christ, a family physician with VCU. “So it’s a big deal.”
As part of the study, Christ met with different practices across the Commonwealth to understand workflow and how physicians approach asking patients about alcohol.
“Routinely, primary care doctors only screen about 2-5% of their patients for unhealthy alcohol use,” Christ said. “So even though it’s very easy to do, it’s not routinely done.”
Screening for risky drinking behaviors and serious drinking patterns normally involves asking patients a few questions, including how many days they drink, how many drinks they may have on average, and if they’ve ever experienced a binge drinking episode.