Biomaterial Database

Diagnostic practices of evaluators of drunken drivers. 1987

B Spiller, and H Rosenberg

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of driving under the influence (DUI) arrest history on the diagnostic decisions of DUI evaluators and the reported bases on which alcohol-related diagnostic decisions are made in DUI cases. Subjects were 70 (out of a potential 140) Illinois certified DUI evaluators who responded by mail to one of four case summaries containing different information about a "client's" drinking history and arrest history. Results indicated a significant difference in the frequency with which these DUI evaluators noted whether the "client" had an alcohol problem, with zero, one and two DUI arrests yielding approximately 30%, 15%, and 50% alcohol diagnoses in the absence of DSM-III criteria supporting such a diagnosis. Collaborative reports by significant others and alcohol-related tests (e.g., Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test) were the two most frequently reported bases. The costs of such diagnostic unreliability and the disadvantages of collaborative reports and screening tests are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008370	Manuals as Topic	Works about presentation designed to give factual information or instructions.
D010556	Personality Tests	Standardized objective tests designed to facilitate the evaluation of personality.	Personality Test,Test, Personality,Tests, Personality
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000428	Alcohol Drinking	Behaviors associated with the ingesting of ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, including social drinking.	Alcohol Consumption,Alcohol Intake,Drinking, Alcohol,Alcohol Drinking Habits,Alcohol Drinking Habit,Alcohol Intakes,Consumption, Alcohol,Drinking Habit, Alcohol,Habit, Alcohol Drinking,Habits, Alcohol Drinking,Intake, Alcohol
D000435	Alcoholic Intoxication	An acute brain syndrome which results from the excessive ingestion of ETHANOL or ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.	Drunkenness,Intoxication, Alcoholic,Drunkennesses
D001334	Automobile Driving	The effect of environmental or physiological factors on the driver and driving ability. Included are driving fatigue, and the effect of drugs, disease, and physical disabilities on driving.	Automobile Drivings,Driving, Automobile,Drivings, Automobile
D012926	Social Control, Formal	Control which is exerted by the more stable organizations of society, such as established institutions and the law. They are ordinarily embodied in definite codes, usually written.	Regulation,Social Control,Control, Social,Controls, Social,Formal Social Control,Formal Social Controls,Regulations,Social Controls