Knowledge Gaps Persist in Assessment of the Effectiveness of Alcohol Brief Interventions in Primary Care

In this study, researchers assessed the cumulative evidence of the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions (BI) in primary care for reducing risky alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. They identified 24 systematic reviews reporting results of 56 randomized trials published between 2002 and 2012.

• The general consensus was that available evidence supports the use of BI in primary care. However, the majority of the evidence is for middle-aged men.
• Knowledge gaps concern women (and pregnant women), older and younger individuals, minority ethnic groups, people with alcohol dependence, and those living in transitional and developing countries.
• The optimum length, frequency, and content of BI are still unclear. There are unanswered questions on the ideal components of a successful intervention.

Comments:

Evidence continues to support the use of BI in primary care, but the knowledge gaps are significant and concern the content of BI, the settings in which BI is delivered, and the populations who receive it. The authors targeted BI effectiveness, but the translation of research results to real-world conditions continues to present a challenge. Questions also remain concerning whether and to what extent the effectiveness of BI is influenced by the means used to identify the target population (i.e., universal screening, targeted screening, or BI offered to help-seeking individuals).

Nicolas Bertholet, MD, MSc

Reference:

O’Donnell A, Anderson P, Newbury-Birch D, et al. The impact of brief alcohol interventions in primary healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. Alcohol Alcohol. 2014;49(1):66–78.