1. Alcohol, Adolescents and the Emergency Department.
New technology addressing an old problem
Dr Bob Patton, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Surrey
& Visiting Research Fellow in Addictions, King’s College London
The SIPS Jr. Research programme1 is funded by the NIHR to screen for alcohol use and deliver effective brief interventions to 14-17yr olds presenting to Emergency departments. Ongoing Patient & Public Involvement work has identified a need for paperless screening / baseline data collection and an enthusiasm for interventions based on mobile technologies. Two recent systematic reviews support the use of this technology to identify and intervene with adolescent drinkers2,3. Working with a specialist software development company (CodeFace Ltd.) we have developed a bespoke data collection / participant management tool for the iPad which is currently being used as part of an ongoing RCT4, with data being collected from 10 Emergency Departments across England (London, Hull and the North East). This paperless method of study management has already demonstrated considerable cost savings and is popular with patients and research staff (over 6500 participants recruited to date in the current trial and an earlier prevalence study). Both the Management Tool and e-intervention have been developed and refined by the research team working collaboratively with the Web Developer, PPI groups and local youth organisations.
Participant management tool
Smartphone intervention
Two linked randomised controlled trials are currently evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two intervention strategies compared with screening alone.
One trial focuses on high-risk adolescent drinkers attending Emergency Departments (EDs) and the other focuses on those identified as low-risk drinkers or abstinent from alcohol but attending the same ED.
Both will compare the effect of Personalised Feedback and Brief Advice and Personalised Feedback plus electronic Brief Intervention (WebApp) against screening alone on alcohol consumption measured by AUDIT-C.
Participants will be followed up at 6 and 12 months after randomisation
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
Newcastle University
University of Kent
Swansea University
Imperial College London
University of Glamorgan
Humber NHSFT
South London & Maudsley NHSFT
SIPS Jr. website:
Patton R, Deluca P, Phillips T, Kaner E, Newbury-Birch D & Drummond C Alcohol screening & brief intervention for adolescents: The how, what and where of reducing alcohol consumption and related harm among young people. Alcohol & Alcoholism 49(2):   DOI: /alcalc/agt165doi: /alcalc/agt165
Donoghue K, Patton R, Phillips T, Deluca P & Drummond C The effectiveness of electronic Screening and Brief Intervention (eSBI) for reducing levels of alcohol consumption.  A Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Internet Medical Research, 16(6):e142. DOI: /jmir.3193 *
Deluca P, Coulton S, Alam MF, Cohen D, Donoghue K, Gilvarry E, Kaner E, Maconochie I, McArdle P, McGovern R, Newbury-Birch D, Patton R, Phillips C, Phillips T, Russell I, Strang J & Drummond C Linked randomised controlled trials of face-to-face and electronic brief intervention methods to prevent alcohol related harm in young people aged 14–17 years presenting to Emergency Departments (SIPS junior). BMC Public Health. 15:345. DOI /s
Acknowledgment: This is a summary of independent research funded by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grant for Applied Research (RP-PG ).
The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.