Photo Credit: AmnajKhetsamtip

The following is a summary of “Exploring views and experiences of a unique alcohol assertive outreach model, the primary care alcohol nurse outreach service (PCANOS): a qualitative study,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Primary Care by Sharp et al.  

Barriers exist for certain groups to access mainstream alcohol services. Alcohol assertive outreach uses persistent and flexible methods to engage them.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on the Primary Care Alcohol Nurse Outreach Service (PCANOS) in Glasgow, where Alcohol Nurses worked with general practices.   

They conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with 18 staff (9 general practice staff, 5 alcohol nurses, 4 strategic staff) and 7 patients from 6 Deep End practices and analyzed views on PCANOS and its comparison to mainstream services. Ethical approval was granted by East of Scotland Research Ethics Service (19/ES/0127) in November 2019 and a study Steering Group provided guidance. 

The results showed that PCANOS engaged patients struggling with mainstream alcohol services. Alcohol Nurses, working with General Practitioners and staff, provided flexible, person-centred care, improving patients’ drinking behavior and overall health. 

Investigators concluded that PCANOS demonstrated potential for engaging marginalized populations, warranting further research into its benefits, economic impact, and applicability in diverse settings. 

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-025-02755-8