title: Feedback from recently returned veterans on an anonymous web-based brief alcohol intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) are at increased risk for alcohol misuse, and innovative methods are needed to improve their access to alcohol screening and brief interventions (SBI). This study adapted an electronic SBI (e-SBI) website shown to be efficacious in college students for OEF/OIF veterans and reported findings from interviews with OEF/OIF veterans about their impressions of the e-SBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient veterans of OEF/OIF who drank ≥3 days in the past week were recruited from a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deployment Health Clinic waiting room. Veterans privately pretested the anonymous e-SBI then completed individual semistructured audio-recorded interviews. Their responses were analyzed using template analysis to explore domains identified a priori as well as emergent domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During interviews, all nine OEF/OIF veterans (1 woman and 8 men) indicated they had received feedback for risky alcohol consumption. Participants generally liked the standard-drinks image, alcohol-related caloric and monetary feedback, and the website's brevity and anonymity (a priori domains). They also experienced challenges with portions of the e-SBI assessment and viewed feedback regarding alcohol risk and normative drinking as problematic, but described potential benefits derived from the e-SBI (emergent domains). The most appealing e-SBIs would ensure anonymity and provide personalized transparent feedback about alcohol-related risk, consideration of the context for drinking, strategies to reduce drinking, and additional resources for veterans with more severe alcohol misuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this qualitative exploratory study suggest e-SBI may be an acceptable strategy for increasing OEF/OIF veteran access to evidenced-based alcohol SBI.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D), Northwest Center of Excellence, Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, 1100 Olive Way, Suite 1400, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. gwendolyn.lapham@va.gov
authors.forename: Gwen T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lapham
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Achtmeyer
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Evette J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ludman
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Katharine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*