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Prevention Harmful EffectscASCANCT02233946

Computerized Alcohol Screening for Children and Adolescents (cASCA) in Primary Care

A study testing computer-facilitated brief intervention in people with Prevention Harmful Effects, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 5 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of a brief screening questionnaire for alcohol problems among 9- to 18-year-old patients in pediatricians' offices, and to pilot test a personalized, computer-facilitated brief intervention delivered on a tablet computer and by the provider based on… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 9 to 18 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Prevention Harmful Effects
What is being tested?
computer-facilitated brief intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
871 participants
Where
5 sitesUnited States
Study dates
Jan 2015to 31 May 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 9 to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • access to computer and email address
  • available and willing to complete all follow ups by email or phone
  • medically and emotionally stable
  • can read and understand English

Who cannot join

  • Patient has already participated in this study

Trial locations and contacts

5 sites in 1 country.

5 sites in 1 country

United States5 sites
  • Tufts Medical Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02111

  • Boston Childrens Primary Care Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • Longwood Pediatrics

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115

  • East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

    East Boston, Massachusetts, 02128

  • Lexington Pediatrics

    Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of a brief screening questionnaire for alcohol problems among 9- to 18-year-old patients in pediatricians' offices, and to pilot test a personalized, computer-facilitated brief intervention delivered on a tablet computer and by the provider based on screening results.

Read the detailed description

The primary goal of this project is to develop a computerized screening program for primary care offices that is based on the NIAAA's new Alcohol Screening Guide for Children and Adolescents and assess its psychometric properties among nine- to 18-yr-old primary care patients. There is substantial evidence supporting the effectiveness of screening and brief intervention among adult primary care patients, primarily in the reduction of harmful drinking. However, there have been few studies of alcohol screening and brief intervention conducted among adolescents seen in busy primary care settings. This project will develop and validate a new computerized Alcohol Screening for Children and Adolescents (cASCA) program which incorporates the age-specific screening questions of the NIAAA Guide and includes the CRAFFT and AUDIT as secondary risk/problem assessments. We will add tobacco screening because tobacco use is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the US as well as screening for marijuana and other drug use so as to create a comprehensive screening instrument that includes all major substances that adolescents use.

Additionally, the NIAAA guide recommends that providers deliver a brief intervention in response to the screening results. Therefore, a secondary aim of this project will be to pilot-test a computer-facilitated Brief Intervention component using a randomized design comparing three groups: 1) screening with treatment as usual [cASCA/TAU]; 2) screening with the computer-facilitated brief intervention [cASCA/BI]. The BI component consists of patients viewing on the computer, immediately after the screening, their score and level of risk for a substance use problem, as well as several interactive pages of science and true-life stories about the health risks of substance use. Clinicians are then given the screen results and suggested talking points for a few minutes of brief counseling during the visit.

Hypothesis: Among 9- to 18-year-old primary care patients, those receiving cASCA/BI will have lower rates of any alcohol use, days of alcohol use, drinks per drinking day, and days of heavy episodic drinking, at 3, 6, 9 and 12-months follow-up than those receiving treatment as usual.

Being tested
computer-facilitated brief intervention
Keywords
Substance Abuse, Prevention, Youth, Alcohol, Drugs
Medical subject headings
Substance-Related Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • computer-facilitated brief interventionBehavioural

    Immediate feedback to patient of screening results and risk for substance use problem, followed by 11 pages of science and true-life stories about health risks of adolescent substance use. Screening results then go to provider who reviews them with patient and gives brief counseling, and refers to an online motivational enhancement therapy intervention for patients at moderate/high risk for substance use problems.

Study groups in NCT02233946
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
screening w/ computer brief interventionExperimentalscreening with computer-facilitated brief intervention
Receives: Behavioral: computer-facilitated brief intervention
Screening with Treatment as UsualNo interventionScreening with Treatment as Usual

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Time to First Post-visit Drinking Day

    Median (and interquartile range) for times to first use for the cSBI and Treatment As Usual (TAU) groups

    Measured: 12-months follow-up

  2. Time to First Post-visit Heavy Episodic Drinking Day

    The number of days post-visit to first reported heavy episodic drinking day

    Measured: 12-months follow-up

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Time to First Post-visit Cannabis Use Day

    The number of days post-visit to first reported cannabis use day.

    Measured: 12-months follow-up

  2. Past-3-month Riding Risk

    Self-reported riding in the past 3 months with a driver who had been drinking or using other drugs, stratified by reported riding risk in the past 3 months at baseline

    Measured: 12 months follow-up

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Sep 2014 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2015
  3. Primary completion31 May 2018
  4. Study completion31 May 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
871 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02233946
Sponsor's protocol ID
P00004862
Other IDs
1R01AA021904-01
Acronym
cASCA
Status last verified
Feb 2021
First submitted
19 Aug 2014
Last updated
11 Mar 2021
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Harris SK, Csemy L, Sherritt L, Starostova O, Van Hook S, Johnson J, Boulter S, Brooks T, Carey P, Kossack R, Kulig JW, Van Vranken N, Knight JR. Computer-facilitated substance use screening and brief advice for teens in primary care: an international trial. Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129(6):1072-82. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-1624. Epub 2012 May 7.

    PubMed 22566420

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing computer-facilitated brief intervention in people with Prevention Harmful Effects, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 5 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Mar 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 5 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 11 Mar 2021). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Time to First Post-visit Drinking Day (time frame: 12-months follow-up). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02233946, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Mar 2021.

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