A brief readiness to change drinking algorithm: Concurrent validity in female VA primary care patients

Brief primary care interventions for alcohol use should be tailored to patients' readiness to change; however, validated measures of readiness to change are too lengthy to be practical in most primary care settings. We compared a readiness to change drinking algorithm (RTC Algorithm) based on three standardized questions to a validated 12-item readiness to change questionnaire (Rollnick RTCQ) in 85 hazardous drinking female Veterans Affairs (VA) patients. Results from comparisons of mean Rollnick RTCQ scale scores across RTC Algorithm categories suggest good concurrent validity. Regular assessment using the RTC Algorithm questions may help primary care providers tailor alcohol-related discussions with hazardous drinking patients.