In-person alcohol counseling versus computer-generated feedback: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Behavioral Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• At-risk alcohol use is prevalent among general hospital inpatients.
• Brief alcohol interventions aim to reduce harmful drinking behaviors.
• Comparing delivery methods is crucial for optimizing intervention reach and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the 2-year efficacy of in-person brief alcohol interventions versus computer-generated feedback letters.
• To evaluate interventions for general hospital inpatients with at-risk alcohol use.
• To assess the long-term impact of different intervention modalities on alcohol consumption.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 961 general hospital inpatients screened for at-risk alcohol use.
• Interventions included in-person counseling (PE), computer-generated feedback letters (CO), and assessment only (AO).
• Outcomes including weekly alcohol consumption were assessed via telephone interviews at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months using latent growth models.

Main Results:

• Computer-generated feedback letters (CO) significantly reduced weekly alcohol consumption compared to assessment only (AO) over 24 months (p = .027).
• In-person counseling (PE) did not significantly differ from AO or CO in reducing weekly alcohol consumption.
• Secondary outcomes related to at-risk alcohol use and blood alcohol concentration did not show statistically significant group differences.

Conclusions:

• Computer-generated feedback letters, based on the transtheoretical model (TTM), demonstrate long-term effectiveness in reducing self-reported alcohol consumption.
• This intervention serves as a practical and effective alternative to in-person counseling in medical settings for addressing at-risk alcohol use.
• Future research should continue to explore scalable and accessible methods for alcohol intervention delivery.