Study of Tailored Hospital Interventions for Harmful Alcohol and Psychoactive Drug Use in Medical Patients in Norway

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how a new intervention for harmful use of alcohol and psychoactive medicinal drugs can be implemented and its effects among hospital inpatients. This study responds to health concerns related to alcohol consumption and non-prescribed or combined use of psychoactive drugs. It includes two groups of 2500 patients each one before and one after introducing the intervention, aiming to evaluate its impact on consumption, motivation to reduce use, and mental distress. Patients admitted before the intervention receive usual acute medical care and form the control group. After implementation, patients in the case group are routinely screened for harmful alcohol use using the AUDIT-C tool, with varying advice or treatment based on their scores. Those at risk of severe withdrawal receive specialized care. Psychoactive drug use is also assessed pharmacologically, with adjustments or referrals as needed. Blood samples are collected for biomarker analysis at baseline and, for the case group, again after 2 months. Participants provide baseline data through questionnaires on alcohol and drug use and mental health, alongside blood sample analysis. After 12 months, these data are linked with patient records and national registries to assess changes in consumption, health outcomes, healthcare use, and referrals. All data are anonymized and securely stored. The study involves ongoing monitoring and statistical analysis to compare outcomes between groups over time.

AlcoTail - Implementation of Tailored Interventions