Web-based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use in Veterans With Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C Clinical Trial

Official title:

Web-based Intervention to Reduce Alcohol Use in Veterans With Hepatitis C

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT01707030
• Other study ID #: CRE 12-009
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 1, 2015
• Est. completion date: June 29, 2018

Study information

• Verified date: May 2020
• Source: VA Office of Research and Development
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Many people who are infected with Hepatitis C misuse alcohol, which is even more dangerous for them than it is for a non-infected person. In this VA study, such individuals will be screened and given feedback on their drinking using an Internet-based program which has been shown to reduce drinking in other populations. The research team will evaluate whether the program helps Veterans drink less over time and thereby improve their health.

Description:

As many as 80% of Veterans with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) engage in harmful drinking. This is a major health challenge given that even light and moderate alcohol consumption can worsen the course and consequences of HCV and can be a barrier to receiving antiviral therapy. In response, the VA Uniform Mental Health Services Package has made it a priority that HCV and other ambulatory clinics provide evidence-based mental health services to all Veterans engaging in harmful drinking within two week (but preferably the same day as the clinic visit). The investigators' CREATE partners, the VA Office of Mental Health Services, VA Operations (10N), and the VA Office of Public Health, are strongly committed to achieving this standard throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). However, the cost and organizational challenges to meeting this mandate in HCV clinics are enormous, but may be surmountable through the use of self-directed technology that minimizes demands on scarce staff time.

The primary objective of this study is to implement and evaluate a web-based brief alcohol intervention (BAI) for treating Veterans with HCV and seeking care at two VA HCV clinics - Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC). This study will have three aims: First (Aim 1), the investigators plan to assess patient, provider, and system factors that may impact the initial adoption of this intervention in two VA HCV clinics. These data will result in the development of a protocol for the initial implementation of the web-based BAI at the investigators' two study sites. A secondary aim will involve obtaining patient and provider feedback on an existing web-based BAI (see www.bmi-aft.org, VA Intranet Only) to help inform its redesign for use with this population. Second (Aim 2), the investigators will implement and examine the effectiveness of a web-based BAI in two HCV clinics to reduce alcohol consumption in Veterans with HCV at three- and six-months post-treatment. Third (Aim 3), the investigators will conduct a budget impact analysis to estimate the short-term costs (1-3 years) of adoption and diffusion of the web-based BAI and the trajectory of health care spending for study participants.

This mixed-methods study will utilize qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve its three primary aims. To address aim 1, qualitative interviews will be used to collect data that will inform the initial implementation and re-versioning of a web-based BAI for use in two HCV clinics located at the Palo Alto and San Francisco. To address aim 2, the investigators will use a randomized, hybrid (type 1) design with patient level clinical outcome data and formative evaluation data collected to examine the effectiveness of the web-based BAI. "Hybrid" designs also integrate formative evaluation into experimental designs to identify factors that impact the effectiveness of implementation efforts. Formative evaluation (e.g., site visits, clinic observation, and interviews with staff and patients) will be used to improve the adoption of the web-based BAI at both sites and to provide evidence-based guidance to the investigators' CREATE operational partners for nationwide implementation. To address aim 3, the investigators will conduct a budget impact analysis to estimate the short-term costs (1-3 years) of adoption and diffusion of the web-based BAI and the trajectory of health care spending for study participants. The investigators plan to collect several types of utilization data, including outpatient, inpatient, and pharmacy utilization, and calculate total dollars.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 138
• Est. completion date: June 29, 2018
• Est. primary completion date: June 29, 2018
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be a US military veteran.

• Over the age of 17 with liver disease.

• Must be receiving care at a VA liver clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those with no current or historical use of alcohol.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alcohol Abuse
• Alcoholism
• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis C

Intervention

Other:
• Web-Based Brief Alcohol Intervention
Participants report their alcohol use and problems on line and receive feedback comparing them to national norms.
• Usual Care
All patients will be receiving care in a Hepatitis C clinic. In some cases clinicians may counsel them on alcohol problems.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA	Palo Alto	California
United States	San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA	San Francisco	California

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
VA Office of Research and Development

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (5)

Cucciare MA, Cheung RC, Rongey C. Treating substance use disorders in patients with hepatitis C. Addiction. 2015 Jul;110(7):1057-9. doi: 10.1111/add.12893. Epub 2015 Mar 27. — View Citation

Cucciare MA, Jamison AL, Combs AS, Joshi G, Cheung RC, Rongey C, Huggins J, Humphreys K. Adapting a computer-delivered brief alcohol intervention for veterans with Hepatitis C. Inform Health Soc Care. 2017 Dec;42(4):378-392. doi: 10.1080/17538157.2016.125 — View Citation

Cucciare MA, Timko C. Bridging the gap between medical settings and specialty addiction treatment. Addiction. 2015 Sep;110(9):1417-9. doi: 10.1111/add.12977. — View Citation

Timko C, Kong C, Vittorio L, Cucciare MA. Screening and brief intervention for unhealthy substance use in patients with chronic medical conditions: a systematic review. J Clin Nurs. 2016 Nov;25(21-22):3131-3143. doi: 10.1111/jocn.13244. Epub 2016 May 3. R — View Citation

Timko C, Schultz NR, Cucciare MA, Vittorio L, Garrison-Diehn C. Retention in medication-assisted treatment for opiate dependence: A systematic review. J Addict Dis. 2016;35(1):22-35. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2016.1100960. Epub 2015 Oct 14. Review. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Change in SF-12 Mental Health Composite	The Short Form-12 (SF-12) is a 12-item health survey based on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) designed to assess two component health status summary scales (physical and mental component summaries) in the general U.S. population. The SF-12 has demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and construct validity. This reflects the mental health component of the SF-12. Scores range from 0-100 and higher scores are better.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Primary	Change in Days of Unhealthy Alcohol Consumption	The number of days on which alcohol was consumed beyond recommended levels in the last 30 days.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Primary	Change in Drinking Days	The number of days on which alcohol was consumed at any level in the last 30 days.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Secondary	Change in Drinks Per Drinking Day	The number of standard drinks (0.5 ounce ethanol equivalent) consumed on those days that an individual drank in the last 30 days.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Secondary	Change in Symptoms of Psychological Distress (PHQ-9)	Symptoms of psychological distress will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 provides an assessment of depression severity. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 27. Lower scores are better. The reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the PHQ-9 instrument are well-established.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Secondary	Change in SF-12 Physical Health Composite	The Short Form-12 (SF-12) is a 12-item health survey based on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) designed to assess two component health status summary scales (physical and mental component summaries) in the general U.S. population . The SF-12 has demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and construct validity. This reflects the physical health component of the SF-12. Scores range from 0-100 and higher scores are better.	Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months
Secondary	Change in Additional Care	Total costs in dollars of all VA and non-VA inpatient, outpatient and pharmacy costs.	Baseline and 12 months