ASAP Study - Hospital-Based Brief Intervention for Alcohol Problems

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), University of Pittsburgh, Boston University

The objective of this project was to test whether screening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use leads to improved alcohol-related outcomes (such as alcohol consumption and linkage to alcohol assistance) and is cost-effective.

In this study the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol use in a diverse group of hospitalized medical patients was tested. We conducted a randomized trial of medical inpatients with the whole spectrum of alcohol problems from risky use through dependence. Subjects in one group received standard care; subjects in the second group received a brief motivational intervention tailored to the severity of his or her alcohol problem. Primary outcomes are alcohol consumption and linkage to alcohol treatment. Additional outcomes include health-related quality of life, health care utilization, alcohol problems, and readiness to change. Costs, and clinical outcomes measured in quality-adjusted life years, a standard metric that allows comparison to other chronic illnesses, will be compared in a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Alcohol, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol dependence, Utilization, Alcohol consumption, Unhealthy alcohol use, Hospitalization, Screening, Brief Intervention, Motivational Interviewing, Randomized trial, Effectiveness, Unhealthy alcohol use (Risky alcohol consumption amounts, problem alcohol use, hazardous alcohol use, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence)

Inclusion Criteria: 18 years of age or older Fluent in English or Spanish Consume risky amounts of alcohol Provide 2 contacts to assist with follow-up Have no plans to move from the local area within a year of screening Score >21 on Mini-Mental State Examination (no serious cognitive impairment)

Kraemer KL, Roberts MS, Horton NJ, Palfai T, Samet JH, Freedner N, Tibbetts N, Saitz R. Health utility ratings for a spectrum of alcohol-related health states. Med Care. 2005 Jun;43(6):541-50. doi: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000163644.97251.14.

Saitz R, Palfai TP, Cheng DM, Horton NJ, Freedner N, Dukes K, Kraemer KL, Roberts MS, Guerriero RT, Samet JH. Brief intervention for medical inpatients with unhealthy alcohol use: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Feb 6;146(3):167-76. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-146-3-200702060-00005.