Implementing Screening and Brief Interventions for Excessive Drinkers in Primary Health Care

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of an implementation program specifically designed to increase alcohol screening and brief intervention rates in primary health care.

Alcohol is an important risk factor for several diseases, even when consumed moderately. Screening and advising at-risk drinkers to cut-down is a highly effective and cost-effective intervention when conducted in primary healthcare settings. However, these interventions are seldom implemented at the primary care level. Twelve out of the 26 primary health care units of the Dão Lafões Grouping of Primary Health Care Centres will be randomized to two groups: the intervention arm will receive the new implementation program; the control group will be on a waiting list for receiving the implementation program and will receive the intervention after the testing phase of the trial is completed. The study will last for one year, starting in January 2017. The implementation program was designed in order to overcome known barriers for implementing alcohol screening and brief advice in primary health care. The Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework were used to pinpoint the constructs and behaviour change techniques most suited to address the barriers in order to achieve practice changes.

Health professionals in the intervention arm will receive up to four training sessions in the first three months of the implementation period. Practice support will be continuously available throughout the project. Posters specifically designed for this project will be added to the primary health care units aiming to facilitate eliciting alcohol issues during the consultations, and to help professionals remembering to conduct alcohol screening and brief intervention. Leaflets to be handed-in to patients were also specifically produced for this project, aiming to aid professionals in advising at-risk drinkers to cut down. The research team will schedule with each primary health care unit regular visits for feedback on the progress of the program.

Percentage of eligible patients visiting the primary health care centre for an appointment with a general practitioner or nurse who were screened for alcohol use with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire given before and after intervention. General practitioners are classified into a more positive or more negative attitudes group based on the answers given. The groups will be compared before and after.

Four multiple choice questions. These questions will measure the theoretical knowledge of health professionals to key concepts related to alcohol screening and brief intervention. The groups will be compared before and after.

Level of agreement with 33 statements. Each statement can be mapped to a specific domain of the Theoretical Domains Framework. The groups will be compared before and after.

Level of agreement with 6 statements. Participants (intervention arm only) will be asked to rate the impact of the materials that were specifically produced to be used during the trial.

Inclusion Criteria: Primary health care units of the Dão Lafões Grouping of Primary Health Care Centres (family physicians/general practitioners, family medicine residents, practice nurses and receptionists) Exclusion Criteria: Primary health care units with four or less general practitioners Primary health care units that have a specific alcohol program already implemented

Rosario F, Vasiljevic M, Pas L, Fitzgerald N, Ribeiro C. Implementing alcohol screening and brief interventions in primary health care: study protocol for a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial. Fam Pract. 2019 Mar 20;36(2):199-205. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmy062.