title: Randomized Controlled Trial of Mailed Personalized Feedback for Risky Drinkers in the Emergency Department: The Impact on Alcohol Consumption, Alcohol-Related Injuries, and Repeat Emergency Department Presentations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to the difficulty encountered in disseminating resource-intensive emergency department (ED)-based brief alcohol interventions into real-world settings, this study evaluated the effect of a mailed personalized feedback intervention for problem drinking ED patients. At 6-week follow-up, this intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in alcohol consumption among patients with alcohol-involved ED presentations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of this intervention over time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial was conducted among problem drinking ED patients, defined as those scoring 8 or more on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Participants in the intervention group received mailed personalized feedback regarding their alcohol consumption. The control group received no feedback. Follow-up interviews were conducted over the phone, postal survey, or email survey 6 weeks and 6 months after baseline screening, and repeat ED presentations over 12-month follow-up were ascertained via linked ED records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six-month follow-up interviews were completed with 210 participants (69%), and linked ED records were obtained for 286 participants (94%). The intervention had no effect on alcohol consumption, while findings regarding alcohol-related injuries and repeat ED presentations remain inconclusive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research in which the receipt of feedback is improved and a booster intervention is provided is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Centre for Health Research, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Alys
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Havard
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Shakeshaft
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Drug Health Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Conigrave
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000628:therapy*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000068237:Distance Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
keywords: Alcohol; Brief Intervention; Emergency Department; Feedback; Rural