A recent study has found that doctors find it hard to diagnose drinking problems of patients unless and until their patients turn up to them in a drunken mood. Often, patients with drinking problems visit their doctors of GPs in sober mood. In such particular case, it is actually hard for GPs to understand drinking problems of the patient.

The conclusion was made after analyzing about 39 previous studies. The studies were analyzed by researchers of Leicester University. The researchers noted that although GPs fail to diagnose drinking problems of the patients, doctors working in hospitals are far better in this.

It has further come to light that even if patients inform the doctors themselves about their drinking problems, the GPs and even doctors fail to diagnose the illness. Because of the delayed diagnosis, timely treatment to the patients is not provided.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Alex Mitchell said, “When clinicians try and spot alcohol problems they often miss patients who have serious alcohol problems but who are not currently intoxicated. Further they can misidentify about 5 per cent of normal drinkers as problem drinkers”.