Optimizing and Integrating the Delivery of Primary Care Services for Risky Drinkers in Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Far from being only an Italian problem, harmful alcohol consumption puts a heavy burden on people's health. Risky behaviors and socio-economical conditions are closely linked and, thus, during critical economical periods, such as this, alcohol related problems increase significantly.

Screening and Brief Intervention is a very effective method to screen and counsel risky people at primary care level but, nevertheless, general practitioners and other health care professionals don't utilize it.

This is mainly due to the fact that the National Health Services should include it into financial agreements for reimbursement or adopt other incentives that, in this critic period, are difficult to be taken into consideration.

What are the alternatives? Utilizing existing resources to propose a different approach at little or no cost: the web and the local communities.

Computers are in almost every house and, if not, the local community can offer their use within libraries or social centres.