Testing Delivery Channels of Brief Motivational Alcohol Intervention (PECO)

University Medicine Greifswald

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Phase 2

Conditions

Hazardous Drinking

Treatments

Behavioral: Personal Counseling

Behavioral: Computer-generated feedback letters

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01291693

108376 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

DM8-IESO04 (Registry Identifier)

109737

110543 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

110676 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

111346 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

DM8-IESO03 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to investigate whether motivation-tailored alcohol interventions are more effective when delivered by person or by computer-generated feedback letters. A sample of 920 general hospital inpatients with risky drinking will be recruited through a computerized screening procedure. Patients with more severe alcohol problems will be excluded from the study. Participants will be allocated by time frame randomization to one of three study arms: (1) personal counseling based on Motivational Interviewing, (2) computer-expert system intervention that generates individualized feedback-letters, and (3) control group (treatment-as-usual). The interventions differ in their channel of delivery, but not regarding their content. Both intervention groups receive interventions at three time points: directly after the baseline-assessment at the general hospital, and 1 and 3 months later by mail and phone, respectively. Outcome will be assessed six, 12, 18 and 24 months after baseline.

Enrollment

975 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 64 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

General hospital inpatients with risky drinking (AUDIT-C >= 4/5 (women/men) and AUDIT < 20)

Exclusion criteria

Patients already recruited during an earlier hospital stay
Patients physically and mentally not capable of participating in the study
Patients with a hospital stay of less than 24 hours
Patients with insufficient language/ reading skills
Patients employed at one of the departments participating in the study or conducting the study
Patients with more severe alcohol problems (AUDIT >= 20)