Emergency Departments

Emergency departments are generally regarded as another form of primary care, in that no prior referral is needed. The focus of emergency departments, however, differs markedly from other forms of primary care with a strong focus on patient triage, resuscitation and stabilisation, and referral to ongoing management.

Alcohol consumption is significantly reduced following screening and brief intervention in emergency departments, though the duration of this effect appears to be short lived. A number of existing studies have also noted reductions in secondary outcomes such as days of alcohol use. Given the high prevalence of alcohol-related harm in emergency departments, detection and brief intervention should be encouraged.