Testing the Effectiveness of a Graphic Novel Health Education Curriculum for Patients With Addiction

Treatment Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Use; Drug Use

Treatments: Behavioral: Health Education Toolkit; Behavioral: Treatment-as-usual

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02378181

CDR-1310-07308 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

1411

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study deploys a strategy to develop and evaluate a training-efficient, multimedia patient-centered Health Education Toolkit to promote shared decision making between counselors and patients. An existing evidence-based toolkit intervention will be adapted and redesigned by a patient and provider team into an engaging, narrative graphic novel curriculum useful in group and individual counseling. The proven behavioral interventions will be augmented with health education material focused on medication assisted treatment (MAT). We will assess feasibility and acceptability, and pilot test whether exposure to the Toolkit (TK) can shared decision making conversations, reduce substance use, and increase engagement with MAT.

Full description

An existing evidence-based toolkit intervention will be adapted and redesigned by a patient and provider team into an engaging, narrative graphic novel curriculum useful in group and individual counseling. The proven behavioral interventions will be augmented with health education material focused on medication assisted treatment (MAT) and HIV risk reduction. Together, these materials will comprise the Health Education Toolkit. The Health Education Toolkit (TK) will employ a shared decision making model to encourage 1) increased recovery engagement by patients, and 2) patient engagement in deciding whether to initiate and adhere to MAT. We will conduct a randomized pilot trial of 50 patients with active alcohol substance use disorders (SUDs) enrolled in inpatient or outpatient treatment and will follow them over 3 months. We will test whether patients randomized to receive the TK curriculum will report increased shared decision making conversations, report greater satisfaction and acceptability of their treatment sessions, demonstrate larger reductions in substance use (drug and alcohol) and increases in abstinence, demonstrate improved alcohol severity scores, attend more attendance at specialty substance abuse intervention and treatment sessions, and demonstrate greater rates of initiating MAT for alcohol dependence over the 3-month follow-up period as compared to patients receiving treatment-as-usual (TAU).

Enrollment: 49 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years or older
• Screening score of at least 16 on the AUDIT
• Meets criteria for a DSM-V substance use disorder as assessed via the MINI Plus 5.0.
• Reports at least two heavy drinking episodes in the previous 4 weeks

Exclusion criteria

• Reports plans to leave the Philadelphia greater metropolitan area within the next 6 months
• Does not speak English
• Unable to provide valid informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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49 participants in 2 patient groups

Toolkit (TK)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients in the TK condition will receive counseling sessions from participating counselors who have been trained to use the Health Education Toolkit (TK).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Health Education Toolkit

Treatment-as-usual (TAU)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients in the treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition will receive the same number of counseling sessions as patients in the TK condition from participating counselors who have not been trained to use the Health Education Toolkit. Counselors working with patients in this condition will receive a control training of the same length and intensity on recovery topics that are covered in the Health Education Toolkit, but will not be equipped with the Toolkit.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Treatment-as-usual