Project dates: January 2012 - February 2013
Substance use screening is widely encouraged in health care settings, but the lack of a screening approach that fits easily into clinical workflows has restricted its broad implementation. The Substance Use Brief Screen (SUBS) was developed as a brief, self-administered instrument to identify unhealthy use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. This 2-site study validated the SUBS in primary care patients, by comparing it with reference standard biologic and patient self-reported measures. The SUBS was evaluated for its sensitivity and specificity in detecting past year unhealthy use and substance use disorders. The project developed important groundwork for potentially broad dissemination of a shortened substance use screening that can be easily incorporated in primary care settings.