{"id":202403,"date":"2021-10-14T17:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T21:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=202403"},"modified":"2021-10-14T17:56:53","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T21:56:53","slug":"brief-interventions-in-doctors-offices-can-reduce-drinking-by-one-day-per-month","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/brief-interventions-in-doctors-offices-can-reduce-drinking-by-one-day-per-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Brief Interventions in\u00a0Doctor&#8217;s Offices Can Reduce Drinking by One Day Per Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin sphnews-block-editorial-leadin is-style-default has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-light-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-755x503.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/files\/2021\/10\/acohol-brief-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">alcohol\/substance use<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Brief Interventions in Doctor&#8217;s Offices Can Reduce Drinking by One Day Per Month\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Conversations under 30 minutes between patients and their doctors in general practice settings can lead to small, beneficial reductions in alcohol consumption. <\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar sphnews-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">October 14, 2021<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/authors\/jillian-mckoy\/\">Jillian McKoy<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>Brief interventions (BIs)\u2014short, structured, one-on-one conversations delivered in medical settings to motivate patients to change risky behaviors\u2014are one of few strategies that healthcare workers currently rely upon to reduce alcohol and drug use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new systematic review and analysis co-authored by a School of Public Health researcher has found that alcohol-targeted BIs can produce small but useful reductions in drinking when delivered in doctor\u2019s offices and similar medical settings, versus an emergency department or other trauma center settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1111\/add.15674\" target=\"_blank\">Published in the journal <em>Addiction<\/em><\/a>, the comprehensive review synthesized findings from 116 trials administered since 1990 with 64,439 total participants to estimate the effectiveness of BIs for alcohol and other drug use delivered in general medical settings. The review confirmed previous research that indicated alcohol-targeted BIs yielded small beneficial effects on alcohol use; specifically, a reduction from 11.6 to 10.7 drinking days per month, or the equivalent of one drinking day per month.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the researchers found no evidence of an effect on the consequences of drinking, and only limited evidence on the effects of drug-targeted BIs on drug use. They found no effect on the use of cannabis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The small benefits from alcohol-targeted BIs in primary care settings may result from differences in expectations, familiarity, and trust between patients and their doctors, says study senior author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/profile\/richard-saitz\/\">Richard Saitz<\/a>, professor of community health sciences at SPH, and professor of medicine at the School of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPart of the way these interventions work are by establishing or having a relationship with the patient that includes empathy,\u201d Saitz says. \u201cIn general practice and primary care settings, patients have or will have a longitudinal relationship with a clinician who is responsible for long-term health, distinguished from someone the patient just met and may never see again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common intervention components reported in the analysis were personal feedback, prescriptive advice, information booklets, and goal-setting exercises. Each session lasted an average of 26 minutes, with a behavioral specialist, primary care doctor, or a doctor other than the patient\u2019s primary care physician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA reduction of one drinking day per month may not sound like much, but small individual reductions can add up to a substantial reduction in population level harms,\u201d says study lead author <a href=\"https:\/\/education.uoregon.edu\/directory\/cpsy\/all\/etanners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emily Tanner-Smith<\/a>, Thomson Professor in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. \u201cGiven their brevity, low cost, and minimal clinician effort, brief interventions may be a promising way to reduce alcohol use, one patient at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saitz cautions, however, that a population health benefit from BIs is still \u201cspeculative, because it assumes that enough people will receive these interventions in general practice settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter 50 years of clinical trials and about 30 years of recommendations for these interventions, they are not being done well or widely,\u201d Saitz says. \u201cI think it is very likely that to see true population health benefits, we will need strategies outside those that can be implemented in doctor\u2019s offices\u2014such as those related to marketing, taxes, advertising and cultural norm shifting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BIs do remain promising as a potentially effective strategy to reduce youth alcohol consumption, he says, because adolescents have not yet developed long-established health behaviors. They also routinely see clinicians for school-related exams and immunizations, so there is already an opportunity for most youth to receive BIs at a critical stage of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAdolescence, and soon after, is also a period when drinking increases and coincides with behaviors that risk serious injury and with mental health challenges,\u201d Saitz says. \u201cTaking alcohol out of the equation or moderating it could save young lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study was co-authored by Nicholas Parr of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Synthesis Program Coordinating Center, and Maria Schweer-Collins of the Counseling Psychology and Human Services Department at the University of Oregon at the time of the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-two sphnews-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/sph\/files\/2021\/01\/RichardSaitz-headshot-600.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Awards<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/news\/articles\/2021\/richard-saitz-receives-two-awards-for-leadership-in-substance-use-education-research\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Richard Saitz Receives Two Awards for Leadership in Substance Use Research, Education<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">January 29, 2021<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brief interventions (BIs)\u2014short, structured, one-on-one conversations delivered in medical settings to motivate patients to change risky behaviors\u2014are one of few strategies that healthcare workers currently rely upon to reduce alcohol and drug use. A new systematic review and analysis co-authored by a School of Public Health researcher has found that alcohol-targeted BIs can produce small [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15205,"featured_media":202428,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"alcohol\/substance use","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[514,1736,2258,1789,2023,2526],"bu-publication":[3516],"sphnews-article-category":[3519,3525,3531,3540],"sphnews-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"profile_tax":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/202403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15205"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202403"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/202403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202538,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/202403\/revisions\/202538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-article-category?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"sphnews-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sphnews-topic?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=202403"},{"taxonomy":"profile_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sph\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile_tax?post=202403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}