Tele-Nursing Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant public health issue in India, impacting individuals, families, and society.
• Relapse remains a major challenge in alcoholism treatment despite therapeutic advancements.
• Rural populations face unique barriers to accessing consistent addiction treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of tele-nursing interventions (TNI) for improving alcohol-related outcomes in rural men with AUD.
• To provide empirical evidence for integrating technology-assisted care in addiction management.
• To explore low-cost strategies for overcoming treatment access barriers.

Main Methods:

• A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 164 participants diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome.
• Intervention group received TNI (video sessions, mobile interventions, text reminders) alongside treatment as usual (TAU).
• Control group received TAU (detoxification, medication, educational sessions). Follow-up was conducted over 6 months post-discharge.

Main Results:

• TNI group showed significantly decreased craving scores compared to TAU.
• Participants receiving TNI reported fewer drinking days and reduced quantity of alcohol consumption.
• TNI was associated with significantly lower relapse rates and improved AUDIT scores over 6 months.

Conclusions:

• Tele-nursing interventions are effective in improving alcohol-related outcomes for rural men with alcohol use disorder.
• TNI offers a viable, evidence-based approach for managing alcohol dependence, particularly in resource-limited settings.
• Low-cost tele-nursing strategies can effectively overcome barriers to face-to-face addiction treatment.