Screening for risky drinkers among hospitalised inpatients using the AUDIT: A feasibility, point prevalence and data linkage study.

Introduction: Risky drinking frequently remains undiagnosed or untreated, including in hospitalised inpatients. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), we assessed the feasibility of screening for risky drinking and whether screening results aligned with alcohol-attributable diagnoses in an inpatient population.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey across a tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia.

Patient-specific record linkage between emergency department and hospital admission data for a cohort of people who inject drugs: methodological considerations for frequent presenters.

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) have been identified as frequent users of emergency department (ED) and hospital inpatient services. The specific challenges of record linkage in cohorts with numerous administrative health records occurring in close proximity are not well understood. Here, we present a method for patient-specific record linkage of ED and hospital admission data for a cohort of PWID.

Drug overdose in the ED: a record linkage study examining emergency department ICD-10 coding practices in a cohort of people who inject drugs.

Background: Drug overdose is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity amongst people who inject drugs (PWID). Drug overdose surveillance typically relies on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding system, however its real world utilisation and the implications for surveillance have not been well characterised. This study examines the patterns of ICD-10 coding pertaining to drug overdoses within emergency departments for a cohort of known PWID.