Last drinks: A study of rural emergency department data collection to identify and target community alcohol-related violence

ObjectiveThe present study summarises the methodology and findings of a pilot project designed to measure the sources and locations of alcohol-related harm by implementing anonymised last drinks' questions in the ED of a rural community. MethodsLast drinks' questions were added to computerised triage systems at South West Healthcare ED in rural Warrnambool, Victoria, from 1 November 2013 to 3 July 2014. For all injury presentations aged 15 years or older, attendees were asked whether alcohol was consumed in the 12h prior to injury, how many standard drinks were consumed, where they purchased most of the alcohol and where they consumed the last alcoholic drink. ResultsFrom 3692 injury attendances, 10.8% (n=399) reported consuming alcohol in the 12h prior to injury. Last drinks' data collection was 100% complete for participants who reported alcohol use prior to injury. Approximately two-thirds (60.2%) of all alcohol-related presentations had purchased their alcohol at packaged liquor outlets. During high-alcohol hours, alcohol-related injuries accounted for 36.1% (n=101) of all ED injury presentations, and in total 41.7% of alcohol-related attendances during these hours reported consuming last drinks at identifiable hotels, bars, nightclubs or restaurants, or identifiable public areas/events. ConclusionsThis pilot demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of implementing sustainable last drinks' data collection methods in the ED, and the ability to effectively map the source of alcohol-related ED attendances in a rural community.