A self-assessment survey instrument was developed for the purposes of detecting abuse of both alcohol and other drugs in patients using a large urban medical center. Both widely-used quantity-frequency criteria and social consequences criteria were incorporated. This paper describes the use of the SUAS in a diverse sample of more than 5,000 patients. A high degree of patient acceptance is documented. This finding was contrary to the expectations of many of the physicians who gave permission for their patients to be interviewed. Utility of the instrument as an adjunct to the usual medical history is proposed.
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