B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study
Background and aims Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and hazardous alcohol use are common but underdiagnosed in primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to explore general practitioners’ (GPs’) experiences and perceptions of using B-Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a specific quantitative biomarker for alco...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2456949 |
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| author | Åsa Steensland Anna Segernäs Mårten Larsson Andrea Johansson Capusan Lisa Kastbom |
| author_facet | Åsa Steensland Anna Segernäs Mårten Larsson Andrea Johansson Capusan Lisa Kastbom |
| author_sort | Åsa Steensland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and aims Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and hazardous alcohol use are common but underdiagnosed in primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to explore general practitioners’ (GPs’) experiences and perceptions of using B-Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a specific quantitative biomarker for alcohol use, in their clinical work with patient consultations and treatment follow-up in Swedish PHC.Design, participants, and setting Individual interviews were conducted with GPs and resident GPs (n 20) in Swedish PHC and analysed using qualitative content analysis.Findings The overarching theme PEth testing in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge illustrated that PEth testing has improved the prerequisites for the GP-patient interaction while making it more complex. Four categories underpinned this theme: Comprehending the context, describing the challenges in the GP-patient interaction when hazardous alcohol use or AUD was suspected; Getting the pieces in place, illustrating the struggle of integrating PEth testing into clinical practice and how it diminished the role of alcohol history taking; The challenges and facilitators of the conversation, comprising both the difficulties in informing about PEth testing and the positive impact on the interaction, and Considerations based on the PEth test results, emphasising the consequences of elevated PEth test results and their influence on physicians’ motivation to using PEth.Conclusions PEth is an important tool in the identification of hazardous alcohol use. Emerging ethical dilemmas regarding patient information on PEth testing and management of medical and medico-legal obligations when test results indicate high alcohol use need to be addressed in future guidelines for clinical management of PEth. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7f7b3f6931da4326b98f1eea810fece1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0281-3432 1502-7724 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-7f7b3f6931da4326b98f1eea810fece12025-01-30T05:49:11ZengTaylor & Francis GroupScandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care0281-34321502-77242025-01-0111310.1080/02813432.2025.2456949B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative studyÅsa Steensland0Anna Segernäs1Mårten Larsson2Andrea Johansson Capusan3Lisa Kastbom4Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenPrimary Health Care Centre Ekholmen, Linköping and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenDepartment of Psychiatry in Norrköping and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenCenter for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenPrimary Health Care Centre Ekholmen, Linköping and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenBackground and aims Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and hazardous alcohol use are common but underdiagnosed in primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to explore general practitioners’ (GPs’) experiences and perceptions of using B-Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a specific quantitative biomarker for alcohol use, in their clinical work with patient consultations and treatment follow-up in Swedish PHC.Design, participants, and setting Individual interviews were conducted with GPs and resident GPs (n 20) in Swedish PHC and analysed using qualitative content analysis.Findings The overarching theme PEth testing in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge illustrated that PEth testing has improved the prerequisites for the GP-patient interaction while making it more complex. Four categories underpinned this theme: Comprehending the context, describing the challenges in the GP-patient interaction when hazardous alcohol use or AUD was suspected; Getting the pieces in place, illustrating the struggle of integrating PEth testing into clinical practice and how it diminished the role of alcohol history taking; The challenges and facilitators of the conversation, comprising both the difficulties in informing about PEth testing and the positive impact on the interaction, and Considerations based on the PEth test results, emphasising the consequences of elevated PEth test results and their influence on physicians’ motivation to using PEth.Conclusions PEth is an important tool in the identification of hazardous alcohol use. Emerging ethical dilemmas regarding patient information on PEth testing and management of medical and medico-legal obligations when test results indicate high alcohol use need to be addressed in future guidelines for clinical management of PEth.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2456949Addiction medicinealcohol dependencealcohol misusealcohol use disorderphosphatidylethanolprimary health care |
| spellingShingle | Åsa Steensland Anna Segernäs Mårten Larsson Andrea Johansson Capusan Lisa Kastbom B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care Addiction medicine alcohol dependence alcohol misuse alcohol use disorder phosphatidylethanol primary health care |
| title | B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study |
| title_full | B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study |
| title_short | B-phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care—a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | b phosphatidylethanol testing to identify hazardous alcohol use in primary health care a game changer and a challenge for general practitioners a qualitative study |
| topic | Addiction medicine alcohol dependence alcohol misuse alcohol use disorder phosphatidylethanol primary health care |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2456949 |
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