Outcome of Trauma Patients After Brief Intervention by a Substance Abuse Consultation Service

Abstract

The Substance Abuse Consultation Service (SACS) at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) conducts assessments and brief interventions for patients at the University Hospital and the Shock Trauma Center of the UMMS. This project examined a 10-week sample of trauma patients (N = 30) seen by the SACS, for whom consultations and recommendations (including participation in formal treatment programs as well as 12-step meetings) were provided. The authors used medical record reviews for background information and telephone interviews for follow-up. Of 22 subjects reached by telephone, 6 reported that they had followed the SACS recommendations completely or partially, and 16 subjects reported they had not. Of the latter group, a majority reported self-imposed abstinence or decreased use. No relationships existed between demographic characteristics or patterns of substance abuse and whether or not subjects acted upon SACS recommendations.

A randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention after alcohol‐related facial injury

“…This sounds like an impressive difference, but other studies have yielded less promising results. Greber et al. (1997) studied trauma patients referred to a substance abuse treatment service 2 weeks after their initial consultation and found that 73% had not followed any of the suggestions made during the consultation.…”

A Substance Abuse Consultation Service

“…Fleming et al, 35 in their study of a substance abuse consult service at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, found that 6 months after the initial consultation, 42% of 175 patients reported abstinence, 70% reported reduced use, and 56% were reportedly active in a substance use treatment program. A small pilot telephone follow‐up study from our own service in Shock Trauma 32,43 showed that although most (91%) of a convenience sample of 22 discharged patients seen previously by our SACS had discontinued or reduced their substance use several months after discharge, far fewer (27%) had followed through with some or all of the SACS treatment recommendations.…”

What General Psychiatrists Ask Addiction Psychiatrists: A Review of 381 Substance Abuse Consultations in a Psychiatric Hospital

“…This was meant to help motivate the patient to engage in SUD treatment. Brief interventions have been noted to be helpful in motivating patients to obtain treatment for their SUDs in a number of settings, including several medical/surgical trauma services 34,36,42 and general medical inpatient services 43 …”

“…A number of other investigators have described consultation services designed to enhance recognition, diagnosis, and referral for treatment of those patients with co‐occurring substance use disorders who are hospitalized in general medical settings 33–35 . For example, several studies describe substance abuse consultation services in large academic medical centers 4,33,35 as well as the results of a substance abuse consultation service's interventions in a medical/surgical trauma center 36 …”