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Alcohol Screening In A Pain Clinic To Reduce The Risk Of Overdose And Improve Patient Care And Compliance With Prescription Opioids, Alicia Ellis
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Abstract
Background: The nationwide opioid crisis is having a significant impact on the U.S. population. Patients may turn to alcohol and opioids for pain relief, which can lead to cancer, alcoholic liver disease, and heart disease. Providers can improve outcomes by screening patients for alcohol use prior to getting an opioid prescription using the Audit-C screening tool.
Purpose: This DNP Project started formal screening for alcohol abuse in a small rural pain clinic with five hundred patients per month.
Methods: During the first visit, patients were triaged by the nurse and screened using the AUDIT-C tool and had a urine …