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Abstract #150175

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Tracy L. McPherson, PhD¹, Kathy Lusby-Treber², Eric Goplerud, PhD¹, and Thomas Walsh². (1) Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems/Department of Health Policy, George Washington University Medical Center, 2021 K St., NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006, 202-416-0413, tracym@gwu.edu, (2) Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, 8150 Leesburg Pike, Suite 410, Vienna, VA 22182

Objective: To identify best (and promising) practices, products/services, and interest around alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) in the workplace. To develop SBI approaches that are feasible and testable in workplace settings. Methods: Performed a comprehensive literature review covering the last 10 years. Using a cross-sectional design, employers and vendors of employee assistance and managed behavioral healthcare completed an online assessment and in-depth telephone interview. A product development workgroup comprised of employer, vendor, drug testing, and business coalition representatives; employee assistance and occupational health professionals; clinicians; and researchers was convened to shape the development of SBI approaches and supporting implementation and evaluation materials. Results: There's substantial empirical support for SBI in medical, but not non-medical settings. Many vendors offer SBI products; however, many employers don't conduct SBI (often relying on drug testing to detect alcohol problems) despite being very interested in implementing SBI in their worksite. Employers doing some level of SBI generally do not use a specific model; however, occupational health/wellness and employee assistance programs appear promising for delivering SBI. Conclusions: A systematic investigation of promising approaches is needed to determine “best practice” in workplaces. Opportunities exist for integration of SBI into existing workplace policy and processes and for providing training to employee assistance, occupational health, and supervisory staff. The workplace remains underutilized for delivering alcohol SBI to workers. Implementation of SBI in workplaces is likely to increase early identification and early intervention, facilitate referral and treatment, reduce long-term healthcare utilization and cost, and improve health and productivity metrics.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain a better understanding of the empirical evidence supporting alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) as an effective approach to early detection and intervention in both medical and non-medical settings. 2.Identify promising SBI practices and products/services that employers and vendors can use to address alcohol misuse in the workplace.
• Recognize workplace opportunities and untapped resources that are feasible for delivering alcohol screening using valid standardized tools and evidence-based brief intervention to workers.

Keywords: Alcohol, Worksite

Related Web page: www.ensuringsolutions.org/resources/resources_list.htm?cat_id=988

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Handout (free access)