Chronic Liver Disease
Conditions
Keywords
drinking, cirrhosis, hepatitis, SBIRT, WhatsApp, Chinese, mHealth, ABI
Brief summary
The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the trial feasibility and acceptability of mobile chat messaging for reducing alcohol use among patients with chronic liver diseases. Specific objectives include: 1. To assess whether the eligibility criteria were too restrictive by estimating the eligibility rate 2. To assess how many eligible CLD patients accepted the invitation to participate in the trial 3. To assess the participant retention rate through 6 months after treatment initiation 4. To assess the intervention acceptability in terms of participants' engagement with and rating of the chat messaging intervention. 5. To assess the safety of the intervention 6. To estimate the intervention effect on alcohol use outcomes and liver functions 7. To synthesise data to inform the sample size calculation in the future definitive trial 8. To explore the participants' perception and experiences in the chat-based intervention
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMobile chat messaging
A trained counsellor will interact with a participant individually and provide personalised alcohol reduction information and advice via a mobile instant messaging app in real time for 3 months from randomisation.
BEHAVIORALScreening, brief intervention and referral to treatment
Brief counselling (5 to 10 mins) to reduce drinking and a self-help booklet
Sponsors
Health and Medical Research Fund
The University of Hong Kong
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Age ≥18 years 2. Diagnosed with chronic liver disease 3. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥8 4. Own a smartphone with a mobile instant messaging app installed 5. Able to read and communicate in Chinese
Exclusion criteria
1. Having a psychiatric or psychological disease or on psychotropic drugs 2. Participating in other alcohol reduction or abstinence programmes 3. Require emergency or in-patient treatment after consultation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment rate | Through recruitment completion, about 8 months | Number of participants divided by the number of eligible subjects |
| Retention rate | 6 months after randomisation | Number of participants completed the follow-up divided by the number of participants |
| Weekly alcohol consumption | 6 months after randomisation | Assessed by questions 1 and 2 of AUDIT-C |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AUDIT score and level | 3 months after randomisation | Assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test |
| Total alcohol consumption in the past week | 6 months after randomisation | — |
| Past 30-day alcohol abstinence | 3 months after randomisation | Self-reported |
| Eligibility rate | Through recruitment completion, about 8 months | Number of eligible patients divided by the number of patients screened |
| Weekly alcohol consumption | 3 months after randomisation | Assessed by questions 1 and 2 of AUDIT-C |
| Past 7-day alcohol abstinence | 3 months after randomisation | Self-reported |
| Past 7-day total alcohol consumption | 3 months after randomisation | Measured in grams |
| Frequency of heavy episodic drinking | 3 months after randomisation | Self-reported |
Countries
Hong Kong
Outcome results
None listed