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AUDIT, AUDIT-C, FACE… which self-questionnaire should be used to identify risky alcohol consumption?
Every consultation is an opportunity for prevention. However, between the reason for the consultation, additional examinations, treatments, and the patient's questions, it is not always easy to address alcohol consumption systematically.
And yet, the stakes are high. In France, alcohol remains one of the leading causes of avoidable mortality. According to Santé publique France, it is responsible for approximately 41,000 deaths each year (1) and constitutes a risk factor for many pathologies, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, and neuropsychiatric disorders. (2)
To support healthcare professionals, several validated self-questionnaires allow for the rapid identification of risky consumption, evaluation of the patient's relationship with alcohol, or identification of situations requiring a more in-depth discussion.
In this article, we review the main self-questionnaires used in clinical practice, their specific characteristics, and their indications.
Why use an alcohol self-questionnaire?
Addressing alcohol in a consultation is not just about asking: "Do you drink?".
A patient may answer that they drink "normally", "only on weekends" or "like everyone else". Yet, these expressions can cover very different situations: regular consumption, heavy episodic drinking, loss of control, impact on sleep, blood pressure, mood, or daily life.
Standardised self-questionnaires provide a more objective and comprehensive assessment of the situation. They also facilitate monitoring over time by using identical criteria from one consultation to another.
In particular, they help to:
identify risky alcohol consumption;
distinguish occasional use from a more established pattern of consumption;
identify signs of dependence or loss of control;
initiate a dialogue in a neutral and less judgmental manner;
tailor advice, brief intervention, or patient referral.
These tools obviously do not replace the discussion with the patient. They simply provide a structured starting point to guide the conversation.
Why use an alcohol self-questionnaire?
Addressing alcohol in a consultation is not just about asking: "Do you drink?".
A patient may answer that they drink "normally", "only on weekends" or "like everyone else". Yet, these expressions can cover very different situations: regular consumption, heavy episodic drinking, loss of control, impact on sleep, blood pressure, mood, or daily life.
Standardised self-questionnaires provide a more objective and comprehensive assessment of the situation. They also facilitate monitoring over time by using identical criteria from one consultation to another.
In particular, they help to:
identify risky alcohol consumption;
distinguish occasional use from a more established pattern of consumption;
identify signs of dependence or loss of control;
initiate a dialogue in a neutral and less judgmental manner;
tailor advice, brief intervention, or patient referral.
These tools obviously do not replace the discussion with the patient. They simply provide a structured starting point to guide the conversation.
What do the health authorities recommend?
The Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) recommends integrating early identification and brief intervention (EIBI) into the daily practice of healthcare professionals. (3)
The objective is not to diagnose addiction in all patients. Rather, it is to identify early enough consumption patterns that could become problematic, in order to offer advice, support, or appropriate referral.
In this context, self-questionnaires are a practical aid: they allow the patient to respond beforehand, in a calmer setting, and provide the healthcare professional with pre-structured information at the time of the consultation.
AUDIT
Developed by the World Health Organization, AUDIT is one of the benchmark self-questionnaires for identifying risky alcohol consumption. (4)
It consists of ten questions focusing in particular on:
drinking frequency;
number of drinks consumed;
episodes of heavy drinking;
difficulty controlling consumption;
the consequences of alcohol on daily life.
Based on the answers, a score is calculated to estimate the level of risk.
Why use it?
It provides a comprehensive assessment of alcohol consumption and identifies situations requiring a more detailed discussion.
Its strengths
Recommended by the WHO.
Comprehensive evaluation.
Allows identification of different risk levels.
Its limitations
It is slightly longer than the short versions and may be less suitable when very rapid identification is required.
AUDIT-C
AUDIT-C corresponds to the first three questions of AUDIT. (5)
It mainly focuses on:
drinking frequency;
quantity consumed;
episodes of heavy episodic drinking.
Why use it?
It is particularly useful for initial rapid screening, especially in primary care or in a pre-consultation process.
Its strengths
Very quick to complete.
Easy to integrate before a consultation.
Good first-line tool.
Its limitations
On its own, it does not allow for a precise evaluation of dependence or the consequences of alcohol on daily life. If results are suggestive, it can be followed up by a full AUDIT.
FACE
Developed in France, FACE is a short self-questionnaire intended for the early identification of risky alcohol consumption. (6)
It helps quickly identify patients for whom a more detailed discussion could be beneficial, without adding to the consultation time.
Why use it?
It is particularly suited to primary care, when the objective is to screen for risky consumption in a simple and quick way.
Its strengths
Short.
Easy to use.
Suited to general practice.
Its limitations
It remains focused on screening. It does not replace a more comprehensive clinical assessment when the situation appears complex.
CAGE / DETA
CAGE, known as DETA in French, is a historic self-questionnaire consisting of four questions.
It primarily explores the patient's relationship with alcohol, with questions around:
the need to cut down on consumption;
remarks from friends or family;
guilt;
morning consumption (eye-opener).
Why use it?
It can be useful for identifying signs of dependence or a problematic relationship with alcohol.
Its strengths
Very fast.
Easy to remember.
Simple to use in clinical practice.
Its limitations
It is less relevant for identifying risky consumption without established dependence. Therefore, it should not be the only tool used when the objective is broad early identification.
What do the health authorities recommend?
The Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) recommends integrating early identification and brief intervention (EIBI) into the daily practice of healthcare professionals. (3)
The objective is not to diagnose addiction in all patients. Rather, it is to identify early enough consumption patterns that could become problematic, in order to offer advice, support, or appropriate referral.
In this context, self-questionnaires are a practical aid: they allow the patient to respond beforehand, in a calmer setting, and provide the healthcare professional with pre-structured information at the time of the consultation.
AUDIT
Developed by the World Health Organization, AUDIT is one of the benchmark self-questionnaires for identifying risky alcohol consumption. (4)
It consists of ten questions focusing in particular on:
drinking frequency;
number of drinks consumed;
episodes of heavy drinking;
difficulty controlling consumption;
the consequences of alcohol on daily life.
Based on the answers, a score is calculated to estimate the level of risk.
Why use it?
It provides a comprehensive assessment of alcohol consumption and identifies situations requiring a more detailed discussion.
Its strengths
Recommended by the WHO.
Comprehensive evaluation.
Allows identification of different risk levels.
Its limitations
It is slightly longer than the short versions and may be less suitable when very rapid identification is required.
AUDIT-C
AUDIT-C corresponds to the first three questions of AUDIT. (5)
It mainly focuses on:
drinking frequency;
quantity consumed;
episodes of heavy episodic drinking.
Why use it?
It is particularly useful for initial rapid screening, especially in primary care or in a pre-consultation process.
Its strengths
Very quick to complete.
Easy to integrate before a consultation.
Good first-line tool.
Its limitations
On its own, it does not allow for a precise evaluation of dependence or the consequences of alcohol on daily life. If results are suggestive, it can be followed up by a full AUDIT.
FACE
Developed in France, FACE is a short self-questionnaire intended for the early identification of risky alcohol consumption. (6)
It helps quickly identify patients for whom a more detailed discussion could be beneficial, without adding to the consultation time.
Why use it?
It is particularly suited to primary care, when the objective is to screen for risky consumption in a simple and quick way.
Its strengths
Short.
Easy to use.
Suited to general practice.
Its limitations
It remains focused on screening. It does not replace a more comprehensive clinical assessment when the situation appears complex.
CAGE / DETA
CAGE, known as DETA in French, is a historic self-questionnaire consisting of four questions.
It primarily explores the patient's relationship with alcohol, with questions around:
the need to cut down on consumption;
remarks from friends or family;
guilt;
morning consumption (eye-opener).
Why use it?
It can be useful for identifying signs of dependence or a problematic relationship with alcohol.
Its strengths
Very fast.
Easy to remember.
Simple to use in clinical practice.
Its limitations
It is less relevant for identifying risky consumption without established dependence. Therefore, it should not be the only tool used when the objective is broad early identification.
Other self-questionnaires also exist
The self-questionnaires presented above do not cover all situations on their own.
Depending on the patient's profile, other tools can be offered:
ASSIST: developed by the WHO, it evaluates several psychoactive substances, including alcohol.
CRAFFT: intended for adolescents.
T-ACE: used during pregnancy.
TWEAK: another screening tool for pregnant women.
MALT: mostly used in specialized contexts.
The choice of self-questionnaire therefore depends on the desired objective: rapid screening, identification of at-risk consumption, assessment of signs of dependence or consideration of a specific context.
Which self-questionnaire to choose?
There is no single self-questionnaire.
Each tool meets a different need.
Self-questionnaire | Objective | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|
AUDIT | Comprehensive assessment of at-risk alcohol consumption | 3 to 5 min |
AUDIT-C | Rapid identification of at-risk consumption | < 1 min |
FACE | Early identification in primary care | ≈ 2 min |
CAGE / DETA | Screening for signs of dependence | 1 min |
ASSIST | Multi-substance identification | 5 to 10 min |
In practice, these self-questionnaires are often complementary. A healthcare professional can, for example, use the AUDIT-C for an initial rapid screening, and then offer the full AUDIT when the answers suggest at-risk consumption.
Other self-questionnaires also exist
The self-questionnaires presented above do not cover all situations on their own.
Depending on the patient's profile, other tools can be offered:
ASSIST: developed by the WHO, it evaluates several psychoactive substances, including alcohol.
CRAFFT: intended for adolescents.
T-ACE: used during pregnancy.
TWEAK: another screening tool for pregnant women.
MALT: mostly used in specialized contexts.
The choice of self-questionnaire therefore depends on the desired objective: rapid screening, identification of at-risk consumption, assessment of signs of dependence or consideration of a specific context.
Which self-questionnaire to choose?
There is no single self-questionnaire.
Each tool meets a different need.
Self-questionnaire | Objective | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|
AUDIT | Comprehensive assessment of at-risk alcohol consumption | 3 to 5 min |
AUDIT-C | Rapid identification of at-risk consumption | < 1 min |
FACE | Early identification in primary care | ≈ 2 min |
CAGE / DETA | Screening for signs of dependence | 1 min |
ASSIST | Multi-substance identification | 5 to 10 min |
In practice, these self-questionnaires are often complementary. A healthcare professional can, for example, use the AUDIT-C for an initial rapid screening, and then offer the full AUDIT when the answers suggest at-risk consumption.
How to integrate these self-questionnaires without lengthening the consultation?
Even when they are short, these self-questionnaires take a few minutes. If completed during the consultation, they may be set aside due to lack of time or addressed too quickly.
Offering them before the appointment, on the contrary, provides structured information right from the start of the consultation.
At Aldebaran, self-questionnaires are integrated into the pre-consultation pathway and offered based on the patient's profile. Once completed, their results are integrated into the medical summary sent to the healthcare professional before the consultation.
This allows the doctor to spend more time discussing with their patient rather than collecting information.
How to integrate these self-questionnaires without lengthening the consultation?
Even when they are short, these self-questionnaires take a few minutes. If completed during the consultation, they may be set aside due to lack of time or addressed too quickly.
Offering them before the appointment, on the contrary, provides structured information right from the start of the consultation.
At Aldebaran, self-questionnaires are integrated into the pre-consultation pathway and offered based on the patient's profile. Once completed, their results are integrated into the medical summary sent to the healthcare professional before the consultation.
This allows the doctor to spend more time discussing with their patient rather than collecting information.
Conclusion
Self-administered alcohol screening questionnaires are valuable tools for more easily integrating prevention into daily practice.
Whether it is a quick screening with the AUDIT-C, a more comprehensive assessment with the AUDIT, a short tool adapted to primary care like the FACE, or a screening for signs of dependence with the CAGE / DETA, each meets a specific objective.
Used prior to the consultation, they allow the healthcare professional to have already structured information, to approach the subject more easily and to personalise the patient's support.
(1) Santé publique France. Alcohol – Our action. Updated on January 26, 2026.
(2) Santé publique France. Alcohol and health: Santé publique France commits to a harm reduction strategy. 2019.
(3) Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). Tool for early detection and brief intervention: alcohol, cannabis, tobacco in adults. Good practice recommendation, updated in January 2021.
(4) Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Guidelines for Use in Primary Health Care. 2nd ed. World Health Organization; 2001.
(5) Bush K, Kivlahan DR, McDonell MB, Fihn SD, Bradley KA. The AUDIT Alcohol Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C): An Effective Brief Screening Test for Problem Drinking. Archives of Internal Medicine.
(6) Dewost AV, Michaud P, Arfaoui S, Gache P, Lancrenon S. Fast Alcohol Consumption Evaluation: A Screening Instrument Adapted for French General Practitioners. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
FAQ
Which self-administered questionnaire should be used to detect risky alcohol consumption?
What is the difference between AUDIT and AUDIT-C?
What is the FACE used for?
Does the CAGE questionnaire detect all risky drinking patterns?
Why offer a self-assessment questionnaire on alcohol before the consultation?
Do self-questionnaires replace the discussion with the patient?
Can multiple self-questionnaires be used for the same patient?
FAQ
Which self-administered questionnaire should be used to detect risky alcohol consumption?
What is the difference between AUDIT and AUDIT-C?
What is the FACE used for?
Does the CAGE questionnaire detect all risky drinking patterns?
Why offer a self-assessment questionnaire on alcohol before the consultation?
Do self-questionnaires replace the discussion with the patient?
Can multiple self-questionnaires be used for the same patient?
FAQ
Which self-administered questionnaire should be used to detect risky alcohol consumption?
What is the difference between AUDIT and AUDIT-C?
What is the FACE used for?
Does the CAGE questionnaire detect all risky drinking patterns?
Why offer a self-assessment questionnaire on alcohol before the consultation?
Do self-questionnaires replace the discussion with the patient?
Can multiple self-questionnaires be used for the same patient?
