Two different studies explored whether a physician's approach to his patients' alcohol use is complicated by his own drinking habits.

Kaner et al interviewed 29 general practitioners (GPs) in Northern England and found the following:

• Some GPs felt that their own alcohol use provided them insight into their patients' use and helped facilitate discussion with patients. Others, however, separated their drinking from their patients' drinking.
  
  
• Some GPs recognized and addressed risk only in patients who drank more or differently from them.

Aalto et al surveyed all Finnish primary care physicians (n=3193), 60% of whom completed all survey questions (63% women; mean age 42 years).

• Of these respondents, 15% (7% of women, 27% of men) were heavy drinkers, scoring >=8 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Fifty-nine percent offered brief interventions (BIs)–9% regularly and 50% occasionally.
  
  
• In analyses controlling for demographic and training characteristics, AUDIT scores did not predict either regular or occasional use of BIs.

 
Comments by Jeffrey Samet, MD, MA, MPH:
Physician drinking can influence clinical practices around alcohol issues. It does not appear, however, to explain the infrequent use of brief interventions.

Reprinted with permission from Alcohol and Health: Current Evidence.