The objective of this project was to test whether screening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use leads to improved alcohol-related outcomes (such as alcohol consumption and linkage to alcohol assistance) and is cost-effective.
In this study the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in a diverse group of hospitalized medical patients was tested. We conducted a randomized trial of medical inpatients with the whole spectrum of alcohol problems from risky use through dependence. Subjects in one group received standard care; subjects in the second group received a brief motivational intervention tailored to the severity of his or her alcohol problem. Primary outcomes are alcohol consumption and linkage to alcohol treatment. Additional outcomes include health-related quality of life, health care utilization, alcohol problems, and readiness to change. Costs, and clinical outcomes measured in quality-adjusted life years, a standard metric that allows comparison to other chronic illnesses, will be compared in a cost-effectiveness analysis.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
350
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Linkage to alcohol assistance
Change in drinks per day
Change in the number of times a subject exceeded per occasion limits
Abstinence (dichotomous)
Change in drinks per day
Drinking risky amounts (dichotomous)
Binge drinking (dichotomous)
Hospitalization
Emergency Department visits
Health related quality of life
Readiness to change alcohol use
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