Computer-Based Alcohol Use Disorder Recovery System

University of Wisconsin (UW)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Dependence

Treatments: Behavioral: Addiction CHESS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01003119

R01AA017192 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

SE-2009-0484

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this grant is to develop and test a proven computer based quality improvement/behavior change e-Health system (CHESS--Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) to help prevent relapse in alcohol dependent patients being discharged from residential treatment. The investigators' primary hypothesis is that ACHESS (Addiction CHESS) will improve competence, relatedness and autonomy, which will reduce the days of risky drinking over a 12-month period.

Full description

The system to be tested (ACHESS - Addiction CHESS) will be delivered through a new modality (smart-phone rather than PC) to make access more widespread, focus on new patients (alcohol dependent patients leaving residential care), offer optional audio delivery to improve access for those who have literacy challenges and be enhanced with services tailored to relapse prevention. ACHESS will offer: 1) communication with peer support groups and addiction experts; 2) timely monitoring to assess risk of relapse, 3) reminders and alerts to encourage adherence to therapeutic goals; 4) addiction-related educational material and tools tailored to the needs of the particular patient, 5) access to selected Internet based resources and 6) communication with a care manager. Patients randomly assigned to ACHESS will learn to use it prior to discharge from residential care.

Enrollment: 350 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All subjects must be at least 18 years of age
• All subjects must be willing to participate in the study
• All subjects must be willing to identify two people who could provide contact information about their location for the next year
• If randomized into ACHESS, all subjects must agree to allow monitoring of their ACHESS usage, including internet browsing
• All subjects must pass a literacy test

Exclusion criteria

• Homelessness
• Psychiatric or medical condition that precludes participation in the study including: subjects with a history of suicidality, significant developmental/cognitive impairments that limit their ability to understand the material or have vision problems will not be included in this study.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

350 participants in 2 patient groups

A CHESS

Experimental group

Description:

Those in the ACHESS arm will also be given a smart-phone with access to the ACHESS system (the intervention) for a full 12 months. The ACHESS intervention includes: 1) the Core CHESS system that has been tested in several diseases, 2) a proactive computer-based relapse prevention system, 3) data transfer from the phone to a computer accessible by the patient's counselor/care manager, and 4) systems for the patient to maintain contact with his/her Care Manager

Treatment:

Behavioral: Addiction CHESS

Usual Care

No Intervention group

Description:

Those randomized into the Usual Care group will receive usual medical care.