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Addiction Science & Clinical Practice
Published in: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Care | Research

Electronic self-administered screening for substance use in adult primary care patients: feasibility and acceptability of the tobacco, alcohol, prescription medication, and other substance use (myTAPS) screening tool

Authors: Angéline Adam, Robert P. Schwartz, Li-Tzy Wu, Geetha Subramaniam, Eugene Laska, Gaurav Sharma, Saima Mili, Jennifer McNeely

Published in: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

The TAPS Tool is a substance use screening and brief assessment instrument that was developed for use in primary care medical settings. It is one of the first screening instruments to provide rapid assessment of all commonly used substance classes, including illicit and prescription opioids, and is one of the only available screeners designed and validated in an electronic self-administered format (myTAPS). This secondary analysis of data from the TAPS Tool validation study describes the feasibility and acceptability of the myTAPS among primary care patients.

Methods

Adult patients (N = 2000) from five primary care clinics completed the TAPS Tool on a tablet computer (myTAPS), and in an interviewer-administered format. Requests for assistance and time required were tracked, and participants completed a survey on ease of use, utilization of audio guidance, and format preference. Logistic regression was used to examine outcomes in defined subpopulations, including groups that may have greater difficulty completing an electronic screener, and those that may prefer an electronic self-administered approach.

Results

Almost all participants (98.3%) reported that the myTAPS was easy to use. The median time to complete myTAPS screening was 4.0 min (mean 4.48, standard deviation 2.57). More time was required by participants who were older, Hispanic, Black, or reported non-medical prescription drug use, while less time was required by women. Assistance was requested by 25% of participants, and was more frequently requested by those who with lower education (OR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.62–2.67) or age > 65 years (OR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.98–3.93). Audio guidance was utilized by 18.3%, and was more frequently utilized by participants with lower education (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.54–2.63), age > 65 years (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.22–2.61), or Black race (OR = 1.30, 95% 1.01–1.68). The myTAPS format was preferred by women (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.00–1.66) and individuals with drug use (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.09–1.88), while participants with lower education preferred the interviewer-administered format (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 2.00–3.78).

Conclusions

Overall, myTAPS screening was feasible and well accepted by adult primary care patients. Clinics adopting electronic screening should be prepared to offer assistance to some patients, particularly those who are older or less educated, and should have the capacity to use an interviewer-administered approach when required.
Footnotes
1
“Some of the substances listed may be prescribed by a doctor (like stimulants, sedatives, and pain medications). For this interview, please do not report medications that are used as prescribed by your doctor. However, please do report use of these medications if you have taken them 'recreationally'—which means taking medications that were prescribed to you or to someone else just for the feeling or experience they cause, to get high, or taking them more often or at higher doses than prescribed.”
 
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Metadata
Title
Electronic self-administered screening for substance use in adult primary care patients: feasibility and acceptability of the tobacco, alcohol, prescription medication, and other substance use (myTAPS) screening tool
Authors
Angéline Adam
Robert P. Schwartz
Li-Tzy Wu
Geetha Subramaniam
Eugene Laska
Gaurav Sharma
Saima Mili
Jennifer McNeely
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Care
Published in
Addiction Science & Clinical Practice / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1940-0640
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-019-0167-z

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