Carol R. Schermer, M.D., M.P.H.
M.D. University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM

Interest: Impact of brief alcohol interventions on injury recidivism
My major research emphasis is on how to prevent recurrent injury in people who drink in hazardous and harmful ways. People who are admitted to the hospital for injury tend to drink more problematically than the general population and have already suffered alcohol related harm. Many people admitted to the hospital for injury have never sought treatment for their alcohol use and may be amenable to behavior change following their injury event. Brief interventions for alcohol use disorders decrease recurrent injury, and recurrent DUI arrest. They have also been shown in some studies to be cost effective. Another focus of my research is how to impact practice change among trauma care providers so they regularly screen for alcohol use disorders, provide brief interventions and refer people to treatment. My current research delineates whether certain types of brief interventions work better than others and which types are cost-effective. It also evaluates whether the impact of therapist speech on client speech and behavior change.