1. Discuss two screening tests that are effective in identifying those with a high likelihood of having an alcohol problem .
The CAGE test
It is the oldest and the most popular test for abuse of alcohol ( Saitz, Richard, et al, 2014) . The term CAGE is an abbreviation for four test diagnosis for problems related to alcohol. The issues under this test are a lifetime. The abbreviations represent;
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C-whether, the respondent, has felt that he/she should cut down on the drinking habit
A-Whether people have annoyed the respondent by criticizing his/her drinking habit
G-Whether, the respondent, has ever felt guilty about his /her drinking habit
E-eye –opener. Whether the respondent has ever drunk in the morning to get rid of the hangover
Two ‘yes’ answers show that there are problems with alcohol ("Are Alcohol Screening Tests the Best for Health?", 2018) . However, this test is not recommendable for old people, Africa, and Mexican Americans as well as White women.
The AUDIT test
The AUDIT test is one of the most accurate alcohol problems screening test. The term AUDIT is an abbreviation for Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. This test is usually correct up to 94% of periods ("Are Alcohol Screening Tests the Best for Health?”, 2018) . It is also correct across the gender and ethnic groups. However, it usually takes a longer time to administer and score.
I prefer using the AUDIT test than CAGE test. The AUDIT test brings a more desirable result because they are more accurate than those of CAGE tool. The results would, therefore, be reliable under AUDIT and therefore I would prefer using it.
2. Compare and contrast two of the following screening instruments: AUDIT, CAGE, TWEAK, short MAST.
AUDIT and CAGE
AUDIT and CAGE are two tools used for screening alcohol-related problems. The two screening tools have some similarity in that they use questions to screen for alcohol problems ( Saitz, Richard, et al, 2014) . Also, they test for both exact and potential issues related to drinking of alcohol. Their focus is to get the answers from the respondents.
However, the two screening tools possess some differences. Whereas CAGE is not recommendable for various ethnic groups and gender, the AUDIT tool fits everybody. More so, CAGE takes relatively shorter time to administer compared to AUDIT tool when it comes to collecting views from the respondents.
3. Locate a website that provides assessment instruments. What is your opinion on this website?
The website I utilized to locate the assessment instruments is:
https://www.verywellmind.com/alcohol-screening-tests-ideal-for-healthcare-settings-69503 ("Are Alcohol Screening Tests the Best for Health?", 2018) .It contains various alcohol screening tests for healthcare settings. Even though the site does not give enough details for the alcohol screening tools, it is a useful website because it highlights features of many screening tools, their advantages, and disadvantages. It, therefore, enables the reader to select the best tools based on merits and demerits of each alcohol problems screening tool.
References
Are Alcohol Screening Tests the Best for Health?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/alcohol-screening-tests-ideal-for-healthcare-settings-69503
Saitz, R., Palfai, T. P., Cheng, D. M., Alford, D. P., Bernstein, J. A., Lloyd-Travaglini, C. A., ... & Samet, J. H. (2014). Screening and brief intervention for drug use in primary care: the ASPIRE randomized clinical trial. Jama , 312 (5), 502-513.
