A 3-Year Retrospective Study of the Impact of Integrating an Addiction Liaison Team into an Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment Programme.

This article evaluates the performance and effectiveness of an Addiction Liaison Team (ALT) integrated within an Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment Programme at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Spain, focusing on patients with alcohol and other substance-related problems (ASRP) admitted between 2015 and 2017. The study found that although only 3.54% of ASRP-positive inpatients were referred to the ALT, those referred experienced significantly lower in-hospital mortality, fewer readmissions within one year, shorter hospital stays, and better adherence to medical treatments compared to non-referred patients. The ALT, composed of mental health professionals, facilitates early detection, personalized interventions during hospitalization, and continuity of care through outpatient follow-up. Despite these benefits, underdiagnosis and low referral rates persist, influenced by stigma, cultural acceptance of alcohol, and healthcare professionals’ limited training in ASRP identification. The findings suggest that integrating specialized addiction teams into hospital care improves patient outcomes but highlight the need for enhanced detection and referral practices.