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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new study from nonprofit research institute RTI International and two partners has found that living in a U.S. state with expanded Medicaid eligibility is associated with slightly higher chance of receiving an alcohol use screening, but the uptick has not translated to high-quality interventions for people reporting alcohol misuse.
The study, co-authored by Katherine Karriker-Jaffe, Ph.D., a behavioral health expert at RTI, along with researchers from the University of Maryland and the Public Health Institute’s Alcohol Research Group, was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
“Despite an increased likelihood of undergoing some level of alcohol screening during primary care appointments in Medicaid-expanded states, patients are not getting the additional support they need through screening and interventions,” said Karriker-Jaffe. “Providers should offer counseling support or connect patients with the resources needed to reduce their alcohol consumption when necessary.”
In addition to studying the relationship between screening practices and interventions, the research team examined how increased access to Medicaid impacted alcohol interventions for patients with chronic health conditions. Adults diagnosed with conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes had a higher likelihood of receiving a more comprehensive alcohol screening, but they also reported that more thorough screening did not correspond to better alcohol-related interventions.
Overall, the rates of receiving screening and counseling were low across participants who were surveyed, the study found. The authors concluded that clinical provider and institutional barriers exist — including lack of training or limited time during appointments — that may contribute to the low rates of alcohol screening and effective interventions. To combat these challenges, they recommend modifying policies to ensure more effective delivery of and better access to care.
The study was published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Learn more about RTI’s substance use research
About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach — one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.
About the Alcohol Research Group
For over sixty years, the Alcohol Research Group (ARG) has been actively engaged in critically needed alcohol- and other drug-related public health research. We study drinking and other drug use and how these and other factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, sexual identity, socioeconomic disparities, and environmental differences affect health. ARG is also home to the NIAAA-funded National Alcohol Research Center and training program. Please visit arg.org.
ARG is a program of the Public Health Institute, an independent nonprofit organization, dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. Please visit phi.org.
