One question for Docs to Screen for Alcoholism

Researchers said asking one simple question may be enough for primary care providers to accurately screen patients for alcohol abuse. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism composed the question: "How many times in the past year have you had X or more drinks in a day?" where X was five for men and four for women. The question was 81.8% sensitive and 79.3% specific for detection of unhealthy alcohol use. Medscape (free registration) (08/06)