Towards increased alcohol intervention activity in Swedish occupational health services.

Objectives: To investigate the extent to which Swedish occupational physicians and nurses discuss alcohol issues with their patients, their reasons for and against addressing these issues, their amount of education in handling risky drinking, and factors that they believe could facilitate increased alcohol intervention activity in OHS.

Methods: All Swedish physicians and nurses in OHS were surveyed with a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was returned by 313 physicians (response rate 54%) and 759 nurses (response rate 69%).

Results: As much as 70% of the physicians and 85% of the nurses reported that they "frequently" discussed alcohol problems with their patients. The majority of both physicians (81%) and nurses (69%) admitted participating in a maximum of a half-day training in handling risky drinking. Among the physicians, the most common reason for asking patients about their alcohol consumption was the clinical relevance (57%). Seventy-three per cent of the nurses initiated discussions about alcohol on the basis of questionnaire responses. Both the physicians (72%) and nurses (90%) said that the knowledge about counselling techniques to use when alcohol-related symptoms are evident was the most important facilitator to increased intervention activity.

Conclusions: OHS professionals usually discuss alcohol-related issues with their patients. Nonetheless, they are interested in gaining further education and knowledge in this respect. The study results indicate that OHS is an important setting for alcohol prevention.