Tools to Screen for Alcohol and Substance Use
Screening and brief counseling for alcohol use among adults has been consistently ranked among the top preventive services in terms of cost-effectiveness and health impact—ranking higher than screening for hypertension and cholesterol. *1,2,3
Successful intervention begins with identifying misuse of alcohol and drugs. Consider the five A’s of intervention- Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange.
Follow the five A roadmap:
- Ask - SCREEN at least annually for alcohol and other drug use, using a structured screening tool and document the screen scores in the patient’s medical record.
Alcohol and Substance Use Disorder Resources
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT PDF)
10 question screening tool to assess alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems.
AUDIT C (PDF) PLUS 2-
AUDIT screen combines alcohol and other drugs.
Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) Tool
Combines screening and brief assessment for commonly used substances, eliminating the need for multiple screening and lengthy assessment tools
Rapid Opioid Dependence Screen (RODS) (PDF)
Screens for- Heroin, methadone, buprenorphine, morphine, MS-Contin, OxyContin, oxycodone, and other opioid analgesics.
Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM)™ (PDF)
a brief patient self-assessment to monitor chronic pain patients on opioid therapy.
Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire (PDF)
The CAGE questionnaire is a tool based on four questions (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener)
This tool helps to assess the likelihood and severity of alcohol and drug abuse. If you identify or suspect a problem, consider the 5 A’s of intervention ― Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange. For more assistance refer to the CAGE-AID questionnaire (PDF).
Learn more about AUDIT
Care Managers are assigned to:
Facilitate communication between physical and behavioral health providers.
Coordinate with alcohol and drug use providers and community resources.
Proactively and regularly follow-up on required physical and behavioral health services, joint treatment planning, and provider-to-provider communication.
Ensure that members' needs are continuously reviewed, assessed, and documented in the treatment plan.
For assistance with care coordination, providers can “Let Us Know” Member intervention request form (PDF) by contacting the AmeriHealth Caritas Florida Rapid Response and Outreach team at 1-855-371-8072.
