Implementation of Mobile-based Programs for Alcohol Cessation in Treatment of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease

University of Wisconsin, Madison298 enrolled

Overview

This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness and implementability of the CHESS Health Connections smartphone application among patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) at two medical centers in Michigan and Wisconsin, in two types of clinics: general hepatology and multidisciplinary that offers care for advanced ALD alongside co-located, integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment. The long-term goal of this and future work is to prevent disease progression and promote healthy behaviors by improving the rate of abstinence among patients with ALD earlier in the course of their disease. 298 participants will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for up to 6 months.

The goal of this project is to implement and evaluate an evidence-based mHealth system to help patients diagnosed with ALD with alcohol cessation. Connections is a mobile health app developed by CHESS Health to support patients with alcohol use disorders. Patients will be enrolled in both general hepatology and multidisciplinary ALD clinics (which include integrated alcohol use treatment professionals alongside hepatology providers) at two large tertiary care centers (University of Wisconsin (UW) and University of Michigan (UM)). The hypothesis is that the implementation of an adapted version of Connections for patients with ALD will improve rates of alcohol cessation and improve liver function. * Aim 1 (described in this record) will assess the effectiveness of the Connections app plus usual care (n=149) compared to usual care (n=149) on days of alcohol abstinence over 6 months. * Aim 2 will assess the implementation of the Connections app through qualitative interviews of key patient, provider, and clinic-level stakeholders using the Replicating Effective Programs framework. Aim 2 follows the study intervention phase and is not part of this record. Secondary analyses will examine use of the Connections app on health outcomes (including depression, anxiety, insomnia, liver health, and quality of life) and health behaviors (including engagement with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and/or ALD treatments and ongoing alcohol use). Key moderators (including age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, rurality, and ALD severity) and mediators (including relatedness, competence, autonomous motivation) on outcomes will be explored. The impact of the Connections app on measures of chronic liver impairment documented in the health record will be examined.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of ALD (any stage) * Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) encompasses a spectrum of hepatic injuries caused by long-term alcohol abuse. For this study, participants will have a diagnosis of ALD. * Alcohol use within the last 6 months * Receiving care at UW or Henry Ford Health + MSU * Either the general hepatology clinic or the multidisciplinary ALD clinic * Able to read and write proficiently in English * Willing and able to use a smartphone app Exclusion Criteria: * Actively listed for liver transplant or history of liver transplant before being enrolled in the study. Participants added to a liver transplant list after being enrolled in the study will be allowed to continue their participation * In hospice care * Has severe cognitive impairment (as described in electronic health record including dementia, delirium, and/or unable to maintain cognitive alertness during screening--as determined by study staff.)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Days of Alcohol Abstinence in ALD Participants

Alcohol consumption outcomes will be collected monthly and include whether or not alcohol was consumed on each of the past 30 days. Alcohol consumption outcomes will be compared between the usual care condition and the usual care plus the Connections app condition.

Time frame: data collected monthly, up to 6 months

Number of Standard Drinks Consumed in ALD Participants

Alcohol consumption outcomes will be collected monthly and include whether or not alcohol was consumed on each of the past 30 days, if yes, participant's will also be asked the number of standard drinks for each day alcohol was consumed. Alcohol consumption outcomes will be compared between the usual care condition and the usual care plus the Connections app condition.

Time frame: data collected monthly, up to 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) Score

The PHQ-8 score is a measure of depressive symptoms that ranges from 0 to 24 where higher scores indicate increase depression.