Text Messaging to Reduce Alcohol Relapse in Liver Transplant Patients
Alcoholic Liver Disease
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Alcoholic Liver Disease focused on measuring Mobile Technology, Alcohol, Alcoholic Liver Disease, Ethyl Glucuronide
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- at least 18 years of age;
- diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease;
- currently in evaluation for UNOS listing as a liver transplant candidate;
- last reported use of any alcohol within the past 1 year;
- willingness to receive and respond to multiple text messages per day.
Exclusion Criteria:
- unstable psychiatric/medical conditions such as suicidal ideation, acute psychosis, or dementia.
Sites / Locations
- Yale Transplantation Center/Yale-New Haven Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Text Message (TM)
Standard Care (SC)
Participants will receive daily text messages and all elements of standard care. They received 3 text messages per day for the first four weeks of the study and 3 messages per week for the last four weeks. Key domains of message topics were chosen based on the content of evidence-based, relapse prevention treatment. Daily messages determined current level of functioning and provide intervention messages in response. Text messages will be sent via Google Voice on a research computer. Participants will respond to the text messages either with a specified response (e.g. YES/NO) or a generic response (e.g. "1"). Some messages will ask for a specific reply in response to a question. Based on the participant's response (e.g. "high," "med," "low"), the research assistant will respond with a text message tailored to the participant's message. All text messages will be sent to the HIC in an amendment to this protocol for approval.
Participants will receive only standard care provided by the liver transplantation team. No additional behavioral or psychosocial interventions will be provided. All aspects of care received by SC participants will also provided to the TM condition participants. Medical care will be managed by medical specialty providers. SC condition participants will receive behavioral treatment within the liver transplantation clinic by psychology fellows and/or psychologists/psychiatrists. Treatment schedules and session topics will be determined by individual providers, per usual practice. These participants will receive only study-specific assessments. Participants in this condition will complete assessments at baseline, 4-weeks and 8-weeks that measure self- reported substance use, stress, and coping skills. At each in-person assessment, participants will provide urine for EtG analysis and will be compensated.