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Effect of Training on Primary Care Residents’ Performance in Brief Alcohol Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Abstract

Background

Brief alcohol interventions (BAI) reduce alcohol use and related problems in primary care patients with hazardous drinking behavior. The effectiveness of teaching BAI on the performance of primary care residents has not been fully evaluated.

Methods

A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with 26 primary care residents who were randomized to either an 8-hour, interactive BAI training workshop (intervention) or a lipid management workshop (control). During the 6-month period after training (i.e., from October 1, 2003 to March 30, 2004), 506 hazardous drinkers were identified in primary care, 260 of whom were included in the study. Patients were interviewed immediately and then 3 months after meeting with each resident to evaluate their perceptions of the BAI experience and to document drinking patterns.

Results

Patients reported that BAI trained residents: conducted more components of BAI than did controls (2.4 vs 1.5, p = .001); were more likely to explain safe drinking limits (27% vs 10%, p = .001) and provide feedback on patients’ alcohol use (33% vs 21%, p = .03); and more often sought patient opinions on drinking limits (19% vs 6%, p = .02). No between-group differences were observed in patient drinking patterns or in use of 9 of the 12 BAI components.

Conclusions

The BAI-trained residents did not put a majority of BAI components into practice, thus it is difficult to evaluate the influence of BAI on the reduction of alcohol use among hazardous drinkers.

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Acknowledgments

To Dr George Danko, PhD, for editing the manuscript.

This study was funded by the Swiss Research Foundation on Alcohol, Switzerland.

Dr J.-B. Daeppen had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Conflict of interest

None disclosed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alcohol Treatment Center, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Isabelle Chossis MD, Claire Lane PhD & Jean-Bernard Daeppen MD

  2. University Medical Policlinic, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland

    Pascal Gache MD

  3. Adolescent Health Multidisciplinary Unit, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Pierre-André Michaud MD

  4. University Medical Policlinic, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Alain Pécoud MD

  5. Department of General Practice, University of Wales, Cardiff, UK

    Stephen Rollnick PhD

  6. Mont-Paisible 16, 1011, Lausanne, UK

    Jean-Bernard Daeppen MD

Authors
  1. Isabelle Chossis MD
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  2. Claire Lane PhD
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  3. Pascal Gache MD
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  4. Pierre-André Michaud MD
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  5. Alain Pécoud MD
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  6. Stephen Rollnick PhD
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  7. Jean-Bernard Daeppen MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jean-Bernard Daeppen MD.

Additional information

Dr. Chossis died May 10, 2007.

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Chossis, I., Lane, C., Gache, P. et al. Effect of Training on Primary Care Residents’ Performance in Brief Alcohol Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J GEN INTERN MED 22, 1144–1149 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0240-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0240-2

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