Dear All
I agree with Eduardo’s concerns about DrinkAware’s use of the WHO AUDIT. It is not a diagnostic instrument and the scoring outside the UK should be adjusted to take into account differences among countries in standard drink sizes. I am cc-ing my colleague, John Higgins-Biddle, in case he wants to address some of the issues raised in the discussion.
If there is general agreement within the Forum that the AUDIT should be revised, perhaps we can reach out to WHO with some questions and a recommendation. We could ask WHO if DrinkAware ever asked for permission to use the AUDIT on their website, and whether they asked for WHO’s opinion about the advice DrinkAware provides online. If the advice about a positive score was never reviewed by WHO experts, perhaps a direct letter to DrinkAware from WHO or from the Forum participants would be in order, asking them to make changes.
I would also like to know how many hits they get per month, what the average score is for people taking the test, etc.
Regards,
Tom Babor
HIFA profile: Thomas Babor is Emeritus Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, United States. Professional interests: Screening, diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment evaluation, as well as alcohol and drug policy; alcohol industry as an inducer of alcohol-related problems. babor AT uchc.edu
