Through behavioral screening and intervention (BSI), patients are systematically screened for excessive drinking, drug use, depression, tobacco, diet, exercise, and obesity. read more
Host Frederica Freyberg interviews WIPHL director Richard L. Brown about “Wisconsin’s innovative new policies on preventative medicine, and the implication federal healthcare law could have for these practices.”
By Richard L. Brown, MD, MPH — A doctor, insurance executive, and CEO walk into a bar in Wisconsin, where they encounter an assortment of patrons. Some are drinking and enjoying themselves with little to no downside. Some are at risk for problems but usually unaware. Others are struggling. Wisconsin’s problems with alcohol are well [...]
By Jonathan Zarov — Rachel Sanchez, BS, is the health educator at Gundersen Lutheran, where she has been helping patients since November 2009. Gundersen Lutheran began delivering services as part of WIPHL’s original Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant. She tells this story… I met with a female patient when she came [...]
“I don’t have time”
“Health plans won’t pay for this”
...and other common concerns
Why Behavioral Screening & Intervention
It’s needed.
BSI addresses behaviors or behavioral conditions known to cause 40 percent of deaths, most chronic illness, and most disability in the United States. Wisconsin’s problem drinking rates are among the highest in the nation and our tobacco use rates are also above average.
It works.
WIPHL has helped patient populations at partner clinics achieve a 20% decline in binge drinking, a 48% reduction in regular marijuana use, and a 55% reduction in depressive symptoms — all with high patient satisfaction.
It’s easy to do.
The addition of a dedicated health educator to the team frees up other staff to do what they do best. And WIPHL has helped dozens of healthcare settings deliver BSI over the last 6 years.
It cuts cost.
Alcohol services alone yield a 400% return on investment (ROI) within one year. Depression services pay for themselves within 1 year and yield a 4.5:1 ROI over 4 years. Tobacco services are even more cost effective over several years.
It’s the future.
Federal health care reform and a renewed national focus on prevention position BSI as a necessary service for future success.
This project is supported, in part, by grant number R18HS019943 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The content of this website is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Department of Family Medicine 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Wisconsin Partnership Program
Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality
Partners in Integrated Care
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Wisconsin Medical Society