Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use in Injured Patients

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Davis

Disqualifiers: Severe psychiatric illness, incarcerated, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

830 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Brief Motivational Interview for reducing alcohol use in injured patients?

Research shows that brief interventions, including brief motivational interviews, can help reduce problem drinking in various settings. For example, a study found that individuals who received brief counseling after alcohol-related crashes had a lower rate of binge drinking after 12 months compared to those who received simple advice. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use safe for humans?

Brief interventions, like the Brief Motivational Interview, are generally safe for humans. They are designed to encourage people to change risky behaviors, such as heavy drinking, and have been used successfully in various settings, including emergency departments and trauma centers. ^{1 5 6 7 8}

How is the Brief Motivational Interview treatment different from other treatments for alcohol use in injured patients?

The Brief Motivational Interview is unique because it involves a quick, focused conversation that encourages patients to think about the consequences of their drinking and motivates them to change their behavior. Unlike other treatments, it is specifically designed to be used in the acute care setting, right after an injury, and can help reduce future alcohol-related injuries. ^{1 2 9 10 11}

What is the purpose of this trial?

The underlying hypothesis that providing brief interventions to individuals who engage in potentially harmful patterns of alcohol use will alter their drinking behavior and therefore avoid negative consequences. Specifically, this study aims to determine if brief interventions will: 1. Reduce the number of re-admissions and deaths due to injuries associated with alcohol consumption 2. Reduce the number of driving under the influence (DUI) arrests 3. Reduce harmful drinking behavior

Research Team

Garth H. Utter, MD, MSc

Principal Investigator

University of California, Davis

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for adults over 18 who've been admitted to the trauma ward or ICU, can speak English or Spanish, and are able to consent. It's not for those under 18, non-English/Spanish speakers, people with severe psychiatric illnesses, or those incarcerated.

Inclusion Criteria

I am mentally and physically capable of agreeing to and participating in the study.

I have been admitted to the trauma ward or ICU.

Exclusion Criteria

I am under 18 years old.

Severe Psychiatric illness

Incarcerated

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive a brief motivational interview and an informational pamphlet on alcohol use

5-10 minutes

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol use behavior and re-admissions

12 months

3 contacts (telephone)

Long-term Follow-up

Participants are monitored for hospital re-admissions and DUI incidents

2 years

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Brief Motivational Interview

Trial Overview The study tests if a short motivational talk can change drinking habits in injured patients. The goal is to see if this reduces re-hospitalizations due to alcohol-related injuries, DUI arrests, and harmful drinking patterns.

Participant Groups

Group I: 2 Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Intervention group receives pamphlet on alcohol and self referral information in addition to brief motivational interview

Group II: 1 Active Control 1 Intervention

Control group to receive informational pamphlet on alcohol use and list of self referral agencies

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Davis

Lead Sponsor

Trials

958

Recruited

4,816,000+

California Office of Traffic Safety

Collaborator

Trials

3

Recruited

1,900+

Findings from Research

In a randomized trial involving 186 seriously injured individuals from alcohol-related crashes, brief counseling led to the lowest rate of binge drinking at 12 months, with an average of 1.97 binges per month compared to higher rates in other groups.

While the brief counseling intervention did not show a statistically significant difference compared to simple advice or control groups, it suggests that more intensive interventions may be beneficial in reducing binge drinking among this population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Binge drinking, sensible drinking, and abstinence after alcohol-related vehicular crashes: the role of intervention versus screening. Sommers, MS., Dyehouse, JM., Howe, SR.[2016]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A multisite randomized controlled trial of brief intervention to reduce drinking in the trauma care setting: how brief is brief? [2021]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Investigation of the effectiveness of brief interventions to reduce alcohol consumption following traumatic brain injury. [2012]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Binge drinking, sensible drinking, and abstinence after alcohol-related vehicular crashes: the role of intervention versus screening. [2016]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Identification and risk-stratification of problem alcohol drinkers with minor trauma in the emergency department. [2021]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Readiness to change alcohol use after trauma. [2019]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of brief intervention on subgroups of injured patients who drink at risk levels. [2018]

7. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief interventions to reduce harmful alcohol use among military personnel: lessons learned from the civilian experience. [2019]

8. Spain pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Short-term effectiveness of brief interventions in alcohol-positive traffic casualties]. [2019]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief intervention as an advanced practice strategy for seriously injured victims of multiple trauma. [2019]

10. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Brief motivational interviewing interventions targeting substance abuse in the acute care medical setting. [2019]

11. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Injury-related consequences of alcohol misuse among injured patients who received screening and brief intervention for alcohol: a latent class analysis. [2021]