Physician detection of unhealthy substance use on inpatient teaching and hospitalist medical services.

Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use depends on reliable identification. The goal of this study was to determine the rate of detection of unhealthy substance use by physicians on teaching and nonteaching medical services at a community teaching hospital.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2009.

Prevalence of unhealthy substance use on teaching and hospitalist medical services: implications for education.

The prevalence of unhealthy substance use (USU) among medical inpatients can vary, and prior research has not characterized the prevalence of USU among patients cared for by a teaching service (TS) and a nonteaching hospitalist service (NTHS). The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of USU among patients cared for by a TS and an NTHS. We conducted a cross-sectional study from February to June 2009 at a community teaching hospital.