Hepatitis C Alcohol Reduction Treatment (HepART-RCT)

Duke University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hepatitis C, Chronic; AUD

Treatments: Behavioral: Group and Individual Therapy Sessions; Behavioral: Brief alcohol counseling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02176980

Pro00046518

Details and patient eligibility

About

Subjects are being asked to take part in a research study to test two levels of alcohol services for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who drink alcohol. The two levels differ in intensity of alcohol services and in whether or not they include a focus on liver health. The study will look at which level of alcohol services best decreases alcohol use among patients with HCV.

Full description

For people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), alcohol use increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and progressive liver fibrosis, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver-related mortality. Integrated models of care that incorporate treatment for alcohol use, substance use, and mental health comorbidities have been called for, but few empirically tested models exist.

In an R21 study, we developed and manualized an integrated behavioral-medical treatment model for patients with HCV who consume alcohol. Investigators successfully implemented a standardized alcohol screening in a liver clinic using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) instrument; recruited 60 patients; retained participants in group and individual therapy; integrated care between an addictions therapist and medical providers; and achieved an 85% six-month interview response rate. The alcohol abstinence rate improved from 0% at baseline to 44% at 6 months. Mean Addiction Severity Index scores were reduced by 50% for alcohol from .24 to .12, and decreased for drug use from .05 to .03. The percentage of heavy drinkers decreased from 47% to 24% (Proeschold-Bell et al., 2011).

This study will conduct a randomized controlled trial that compares medical provider-delivered brief alcohol counseling plus our on-site six-month integrated treatment to brief alcohol counseling plus outside alcohol treatment referral in 279 HCV-infected patients with qualifying AUDIT alcohol scores at baseline. Participants in both arms will be treated at the Duke and UNC Liver Clinics and the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Outcome variables will be assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The aims are to 1) evaluate alcohol abstinence; 2) determine differences in secondary outcomes between study arms; and 3) conduct a cost effectiveness analysis. Investigators hypothesize that the intervention will significantly improve alcohol abstinence rates and significantly decrease relapse rates compared to the comparison. Investigators further hypothesize that intervention participants will report fewer drinks per week than comparison participants, have fewer positive drug screens than comparison participants, and meet the $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained standard established in the health economics literature.

Enrollment: 182 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Ever HCV-infected chronic HCV

• Appropriate score on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)

  • Females, ≥4
  • Males, ≥8

• Consumed alcohol in past 60 days

• Not currently attending alcohol treatment services more than once every two weeks. If you attend treatment services at least once every two weeks, you must have either drunk alcohol heavily in the past 2 weeks or have drunk alcohol at least 7 of the past 14 days or your medical provider must have assessed that you would benefit from alcohol treatment services offered by this study

  * Patient at one of the 3 clinic sites

• 18 or older

• English-speaking

• OK to have HIV, substance use or other co-morbidities, or receiving HCV antiviral treatment

Exclusion criteria

• Psychotic
• Insurmountable transportation barriers (can receive individual therapy by phone but need appointments with HCV provider at 3 and 6 months and ideally some in-person group therapy)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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182 participants in 2 patient groups

Medical provider (MP) brief alcohol counseling & referral

Active Comparator group

Description:

1. Screening of HCV-infected patients for alcohol use using the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). 2. Patients self-administer the AUDIT. 3. HCV providers review the AUDIT with the patient. 4. If the patient is using any alcohol, the HCV provider conducts brief alcohol counseling using the FRAMES model, based on the evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) method. 5. Medical provider will explain the importance of alcohol abstinence in the presence of HCV infection. 6. Patient is referred to an alcohol treatment programs outside the liver clinic. Typical counseling will take the form of individual and group therapy.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Brief alcohol counseling

Brief alcohol counseling & 6 months of HCV-alcohol treatment

Experimental group

Description:

* Steps 1 through 5 as described in comparator arm above. * 6 months of group therapy, offered weekly. * 6 months of individual therapy, in person or by phone, offered every two weeks. * Therapy content emphasizes interplay between alcohol use and liver health/HCV. * Informal collaboration between HCV providers and addictions therapists. * Shared EMR charting. * Referral to study-provided psychiatry as needed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Group and Individual Therapy Sessions