Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116000

Thomas F. Babor, PhD, MPH and Bonnie G. McRee, MPH. Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, 860-679-5482, babor@nso.uchc.edu

This session describes translational research on screening and brief interventions for alcohol and other drug misuse during the past 25 years, using examples from instrument development studies, clinical trials and implementation research to illustrate the cumulative effect of translational research on health care delivery systems, health policy and population health. Beginning in the 1980's, concerted efforts were made in the US and at the World Health Organization to provide an evidence base for alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) in primary health care settings. With the development of reliable and accurate screening tests for alcohol, more than a hundred clinical trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and cost effectiveness of alcohol SBI in primary care, emergency departments and trauma centers. With the accumulation of positive evidence, implementation research was begun in the 1990's, followed by national demonstration programs in the US and other countries. Data from the WHO Global Burden of Disease Project suggest that these ATOD initiatives have the potential to influence population health throughout the world.

Learning Objectives:

• a) describe the evidence base for the ATOD screening and brief intervention; b) be familiar with the public health implications of ATOD screening

Keywords: Alcohol, Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.