A brief readiness to change drinking algorithm: concurrent validity in female VA primary care patients

Amee J Epler; Daniel R Kivlahan; Kristen R Bush; Dorcas J Dobie; Katharine A Bradley

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.05.015

A brief readiness to change drinking algorithm: concurrent validity in female VA primary care patients

Addict Behav. 2005 Feb;30(2):389-95. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.05.015.

Authors

Amee J Epler¹, Daniel R Kivlahan, Kristen R Bush, Dorcas J Dobie, Katharine A Bradley

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Psychology Building, Room 105, 200 South Seventh Street, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. aje4x9@mizzou.edu

PMID: 15621412
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.05.015

Abstract

Brief primary care interventions for alcohol use should be tailored to patients' readiness to change; however, validated measures of readiness to change are too lengthy to be practical in most primary care settings. We compared a readiness to change drinking algorithm (RTC Algorithm) based on three standardized questions to a validated 12-item readiness to change questionnaire (Rollnick RTCQ) in 85 hazardous drinking female Veterans Affairs (VA) patients. Results from comparisons of mean Rollnick RTCQ scale scores across RTC Algorithm categories suggest good concurrent validity. Regular assessment using the RTC Algorithm questions may help primary care providers tailor alcohol-related discussions with hazardous drinking patients.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adult
Alcohol Drinking / psychology*
Alcoholism / psychology
Algorithms*
Attitude to Health
Female
Humans
Military Personnel / psychology
Motivation*
Primary Health Care
Reproducibility of Results
Surveys and Questionnaires

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding