Implementation of Mobile-based Programs for Alcohol Cessation in Treatment of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (IMPACT-ALD)

University of Wisconsin (UW)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Alcohol-related Liver Disease; Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatments: Device: Connections App

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06305624

1R01AA030470-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

A532000 (Other Identifier)

Protocol Version 2/2/25 (Other Identifier)

2024-0130

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full description

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.

Enrollment: 298 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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.)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

298 participants in 2 patient groups

Connections App

Experimental group

Description:

The Connections app is based on principles of effective care for substance use disorders, such as sustained duration, peer support, improving coping skills in high-risk situations, assertive outreach, self- monitoring, prompts, and action planning. The theoretical foundation of CHESS Health is self-determination theory, which holds that an individual's adaptive functioning can be improved if the patient feels (1) competent, (2) related to others, and (3) internally motivated rather than coerced in one's actions.

Treatment:

Device: Connections App

Treatment as Usual

No Intervention group