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The CRAFFT Screening Test[1] is a short clinical assessment tool designed to screen for substance-related risks and problems in adolescents aged 12-18. The assessment will screen for both drug and alcohol use and was developed with a single risk item, this being alcohol and drug-related motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among adolescents.
The necessity for an adolescent screening measure was made apparent by research findings suggesting that half of high school students drink, a third binge drink, and a fourth use marijuana. Studies show that more than half of high school seniors have used an illegal drug of any kind and a fourth have used illegal drugs other than marijuana. The assessment is useful for identifying youth who need further assessment and therapeutic intervention.
The CRAFFT 2.0 screening tool begins with past-12-month frequency items. This new set of frequency questions was tested in a recent study of 708 adolescent primary care patients ages 12–18 that found a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 81% for detecting past-12-month use of any substance. [2]
Research has shown that CRAFFT has relatively high sensitivity and specificity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability as a screener for alcohol and substance misuse.[2] The questionnaire has been validated against the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and demonstrates good ability to distinguish between those with and without clinical levels of any DSM-5 substance use disorder. It is supported by many studies as a reliable and valid assessment of substance abuse in adolescents. The CRAFFT has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics‘ Committee on Substance Abuse for use with adolescents.[1] Findings suggest that pediatricians should regularly screen for substance abuse in adolescents using the CRAFFT.
Fast and easy to use, the PTI App version of the CRAFFT is an economical, reliable and validated method to screen. Questions are presented one at a time with a single click answer to advance to the next question. The question format automatically adapts to the respondents device (smartphone, tablet or PC) making the PTI App version of the CRAFFT ideal for mobile devices. Using PTI data services, when a questionnaire is complete it is immediately scored electronically and an in-depth report with summary and trending analysis is generated. Results can be printed, loaded into an EMR/EHR and are available as a PDF.
For more information and validity information:
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/203511
[1] “The CRAFFT Screening Tool”, The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research (CeASAR), Children’s Hospital Boston, 2009, retrieved 21 November 2010
[2] Dhalla, S; Zumbo, BD; Poole, G (March 2011), “A review of the psychometric properties of the CRAFFT instrument: 1999–2010.”, Current drug abuse reviews, 4 (1): 57–64,
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