A self-assessment survey instrument was developed for the purposes of detecting abuse of both alcohol and other drugs in patients using a large urban medical center. Both widely-used quantity-frequency criteria and social consequences criteria were incorporated. This paper describes the use of the SUAS in a diverse sample of more than 5,000 patients. A high degree of patient acceptance is documented. This finding was contrary t o the expectations of many of the physicians who gave permission for their patients to be interviewed. Utility of the instrument as an adjunct to the usual medical history is proposed.
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