Frequent attenders to accident and emergency departments: a qualitative study of individuals who repeatedly present with alcohol-related health conditions

Download a copy of the Survey Report. Download the Patient Leaflet used in this study. Key findings People who frequently attend Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments for alcohol-related reasons tend to experience alcohol dependence associated with multiple and complex needs, but also report diverse patterns of drinking and other substance use, and varied health and social problems. Although A&E staff are generally sympathetic to the needs of people with complex drinking and related problems, they do not have the resources or training to provide the kind of personalised support that people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons often need. Assertive outreach – a treatment model that offers intensive, individualised, caseworker support for patients in the community – seems to offer good potential for helping people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons. Researchers Joanne Neale, Tom Parkman, Ed Day and Colin Drummond, National Addiction Centre, King’s College London. Background People who frequently attend A&E departments for alcohol-related reasons place a disproportionate burden on hospital bed usage (Mandelberg et al., 2000). Members of this patient population are most commonly referred to as ‘alcohol frequent attenders’, but they have also been described as ‘frequent flyers’ and ‘change resistant drinkers’ (Herring et al., 2011; Ward & Holmes, 2014). Local UK data indicate that pe...
Source: Alcohol Research UK - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Alcohol Insights Source Type: news