Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42135584›Full record

ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2026

Implementation of a Hospital-Based Screening and Treatment Program for Unhealthy Alcohol Use.

Jananie Ramesh, Christopher Moriates, John Embers, Alanna Boulton, Nicole Kluz, Rachel Holliman, Frances Ibarra, Ohenewaa Dede-Bamfo, Patrick Chang, Mary Velasquez and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Jananie RameshDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. jananie.ramesh@austin.utexas.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7387-5137
Christopher MoriatesVeterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
John EmbersDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Alanna BoultonDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Nicole KluzDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Rachel HollimanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Frances IbarraDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Ohenewaa Dede-BamfoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Patrick ChangDepartment of Population Health, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Mary VelasquezThe University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Austin, TX, USA.
Michael PignoneDepartment of Population Health, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundScreening and treatment for unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are recommended but underutilized, particularly in hospital settings.

objectiveTo determine whether a comprehensive screening and treatment protocol for UAU in hospitalized patients can help reduce alcohol use.

designQuality improvement study at single-center safety-net hospital.

participants27,914 patients were admitted from 9/2022 to 9/2024, and 18,146 (65.0%) were screened with AUDIT-PC, with 1085 (6.0%) screening positive (≥ 5). Substance use navigators (SUNs) identified 257 additional patients with UAU through referral methods.

interventionSUNs approached eligible patients and conducted full AUDIT and brief behavioral counseling. Patients with AUDIT ≥ 12 were offered medications for AUD (MAUD) during hospitalization and at discharge. MAIN MEASURES: Intervention delivery, 30-day return hospital encounters (readmission or emergency department), and change in AUDIT score among high-risk patients. KEY

resultsOf the 1342 intervention-eligible patients, 81% were men, and the mean age was 51 years. 54% were Caucasian, 30% Hispanic/Latinx, and 9% Black. 17% were unhoused, and 18% were uninsured. Of these 1342, 800 (59.6%) patients engaged in the intervention. The mean AUDIT score was 15 (median 14, IQR 8-21). For the 489 (61.1%) patients with AUDIT ≥ 12, 231 (47.2%) were started on medication before discharge. For the 126 patients with repeat AUDIT (25.8%), the mean reduction was 14.2 points (95% CI: -15.4, -12.2). For those with AUDIT ≥ 12, 128 (26.2%) patients had a return hospital encounter within 30 days of discharge. Patients without return encounters had significantly larger reductions in AUDIT score than those who had return encounters (mean reduction -16.2 vs -9.1 points (difference -7.1, 95% CI: -3.1, -11.0)).

conclusionsUAU screening and risk-stratified treatment (including pharmacotherapy) can be delivered in diverse hospitalized patients, and were accompanied by short-term changes in alcohol risk score among patients reached for follow-up.

Indexed as

alcohol usebrief interventionhospital medicinequality improvement

Identifiers

PMID42135584

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.