Effective screening and intervention for substance use disorders (SUDs) in health care settings constitute a national priority. The new National Drug Control Strategy, as well as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, emphasize prevention and integration of SUD interventions and treatments into the mainstream health care system (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2010a; Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2010). Consequently, access to SUD treatments and the quality of care will likely be enhanced. However, primary care physicians are very busy and have many areas to assess in a relatively short time; thus, the potential benefits of integrating SUD prevention and treatment into primary care will not be realized unless procedures to screen for SUDs are identified that can easily fit into busy work schedules.
