Scales - Resource One
8. What are the steps for delivering a brief intervention?
Once you have screened the patient and decided what action is needed you can prepare to have a conversation with your patient about their alcohol consumption.
The flow chart below shows the steps for having a conversation with your patients about alcohol.
Review the boxes below for some example questions you might use to help the conversation. You don't have to ask all of these, they are suggested questions to help you with your discussion.
Questions to help conversation - Narration
Raise the issue
"Do you drink at all?"
"Do you mind if we spend a few minutes talking about...?"
"A lot of people are concerned about their drinking..."
"Would you be interested in taking about your drinking?"
Provide feedback on screening results and risks
"What do you know about guidelines for consuming alcohol?"
"What do you know about how alcohol affects your health?"
"What do you know about the benefits of keeping to low levels of drinking?"
Assess readiness to change/ patient motivation
"On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most important, how important is it for you to reduce your alcohol levels."
"How do you feel your life or health would improve if you moderated your drinking?"
"What are your feelings about drinking?"
"What would be helpful to you right now?"
Provide brief advice
Have a brief conversation with patient about how they might reduce their alcohol consumption. This may include:
Building patient confidence
“How confident do you feel about reducing your alcohol consumption?”
“What might help?”
Enhancing motivation
“What barriers do you think there might be to you achieving this?”
“What practical ways can you think of to overcome any barriers?
Exploring coping strategies
“How can you prepare to avoid problems and difficult situations?”
Providing a menu of options
“What goals might work for you?”
Provide information
If time is limited, or if a patient is not interested in discussing their drinking, further information (a leaflet or links to websites/apps) could be offered.
“Would you like more information about drinking alcohol?”
Signpost or refer to other services
For patients who are at higher risk or appear to be dependent on alcohol, it may be best to refer them to other services to obtain more extended support.
“Would you be interested in some additional support to help you with your drinking?”
“What sort of support would you be interested in?”
Close the conversation
The conversation can be closed by the patient or you at any time.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to discuss this now, here is a leaflet with further information and contact details for support services”