Screening, Motivational Assessment, Referral, and Treatment in Emergency Departments

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Drug Abuse

In brief

Misuse of drugs and alcohol has a tremendous impact on individual health and on society, in terms of both human suffering and economic cost. Most substance abusers never seek specialty addiction treatment, but a large percentage of them receives some form of medical care, frequently in emergency room settings. There is considerable evidence showing that Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral, and Treatment (SBIRT) interventions in medical settings result in decreased drinking and alcohol-related problems among those with alcohol abuse or dependence. However, there are few studies using these models focusing on drug users. Although drug users are seen in large numbers in emergency departments, there have been no randomized controlled trials of SBIRT models for drug users presenting in Emergency Departments (EDs). This study is designed to assess the effects of Assessment, Referral, and a Brief Intervention on substance use of individuals screening positive for drug use during a medical ED visit. The Southwest Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, located at UNM CASAA, is taking the lead on this study. Six sites across the country will participate in this study, including the ED of UNM Hospital. A total of 1285 ED patients who screen positive for current drug use problems will be randomly assigned to receive 1) minimal screening only, 2) assessment of substance use and referral to treatment, or 3) assessment and referral combined with a 30-minute counseling session (Brief Intervention) and two follow-up telephone counseling sessions. Outcomes will be assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after the ED visit. We hypothesize that those who receive the Brief Intervention will have the least drug use at follow-up, that those who receive minimal screening only (the usual current practice) will have the most drug use, and that those receiving assessment and referral without the Brief intervention will have intermediate outcomes.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01207791

Run by

University of New Mexico

People needed

1285

Starts

2010-10-01

Expected to finish

2013-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2013-05-24

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Registration as patient in the ED during study screening hours
• Positive screen (≥3) for problematic use of a non-alcohol, non-nicotine drug based on the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST)
• At least one day of problematic drug use (excluding alcohol and nicotine) in the past 30 days
• Age 18 years or older
• Adequate English proficiency
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Access to phone (for booster sessions)

You may not qualify if…

• Inability to participate due to emergency treatment
• Significant impairment of cognition or judgment rendering the person incapable of informed consent. (e.g., traumatic brain injury, delirium, intoxication)
• Status as a prisoner or in police custody at the time of treatment.
• Current engagement in addiction treatment
• Residence more than 50 miles from the location of follow-up visits
• Inability to provide sufficient contact information (must provide at least 2 reliable locators).
• Prior participation in the current study.

Where it is running

• Jackson Memorial Hospital — Miami, Florida, United States
• Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• University of New Mexico Hospital — Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
• Belleview Hospital — New York, New York, United States
• University of Cincinnati Hospital — Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
• University of Washington — Seattle, Washington, United States
• West Virginia University Hospital — Morgantown, West Virginia, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.