Hack's Impairment Index

About 35 million alcohol-impaired patients are cared for in Emergency Departments (EDs) annually. Although there is no formal assessment for these patient, physicians are charged with ensuring patient safety by identifying resolution of alcohol-induced impairment. Currently, the most common evaluation in these circumstances is an extemporized clinical examination, as ethanol levels are not reliable or predictive of clinical symptoms.

Hack's Impairment Index (HII score) is a clinical tool designed to create an objective, standardized, serializable evaluation of alcohol impaired patients.

HII Score helps clinicians become familiar with and perform the HII score correctly.

Studies show that HII scores were superior to ethanol levels as an objective clinical measure of impairment. The HII declines in a predictable manner over time, with serial evaluations corresponding well with health care provider evaluations.