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Alcohol; Harmful UseSWYW2NCT04594304

Screening While You Wait 2: Alcohol and Tobacco Use

A study of Alcohol; Harmful Use and Tobacco Use, run by Women's College Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

This project aims to help patients improve their health through screening and treatment of risky alcohol and tobacco use. Previous studies show the best approach to reduce substance use includes routine screening, short discussions with a clinician, and tailored resources. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
360 participants
Where
1 siteCanada
Study dates
2 Jan 2020to 2 Aug 2021
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adult patients aged >18 who are rostered at WCH FP and have a clinical appointment booked with their PCP in the next 2 weeks
  • Have an email address in their EMR chart, and
  • Are under-screened for alcohol or tobacco use defined as either a) missing a tobacco or alcohol use status documented in the appropriate section of the cumulative patient profile (CPP) in their EMR or b) having an alcohol or tobacco use status that is positive (defined as any status but: ex-smoker, non-smoker, "rare"-drinker or non-drinker) and no CPX in the last year.

Who cannot join

  • Patients booked for an urgent care appointment (noted in the EMR), as it would not be appropriate to ask patients with acute issues (i.e., short-term severe injury or illness requiring relatively urgent medical attention) to spend extended time receiving alcohol and tobacco use counselling.
  • Patients with active risky alcohol or tobacco use who are already undergoing pharmacologic treatment
  • Currently pregnant patients will be excluded as pathways for diagnosing, counselling and treating substance use is different among this population. They will be identified through a question before the informed consent form appears asking for the patient's gender. If the patient identifies as a woman, a second question will appear that asks if they are currently pregnant. If yes, the survey will end and the participant will not be asked to complete the consent and survey.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Women's College Hospital

    Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2

    Natasha Kithulegoda, MPH, 416-323-6400 ext. 8356, natasha.kithulegoda@wchospital.ca

    Payal Agarwal, MD

    Recruiting

Other trials in Canada

About this study

This project aims to help patients improve their health through screening and treatment of risky alcohol and tobacco use. Previous studies show the best approach to reduce substance use includes routine screening, short discussions with a clinician, and tailored resources. Unfortunately, primary care providers (PCPs) do not often screen or provide evidence-based interventions. PCPs report lack of confidence, lack of awareness, and competing priorities as barriers to screening and providing evidence-based care. However, digital solutions can enable patient-initiated screening and overcome barriers in a manner that has the potential to be both efficient and effective.

The proposed project will test the feasibility of digital patient-initiated screening at the WCH Family Practice (WCH FP) for alcohol and tobacco use, building on work from the first iteration of Screen While You Wait (SWYW). The research team will email patients a secure link to a survey with screening questions assessing substance use and important contextual factors. The results will be summarized in the patient's chart with an automatic notification to the PCP. If the survey reveals risky behaviours, both the PCP and patient will receive a package of tailored resources for further care delivered through a customized website.

Read the detailed description

Burden of Alcohol and Tobacco: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 5.9% of total global deaths are attributable to alcohol consumption. It is estimated that tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year globally. In Ontario alone, approximately 9,800 new cases of cancer diagnosed in a single year could be attributed to tobacco, while 1,000 cases a year could be attributed to alcohol consumption. Despite this evidence, 15.2% of Canadian adults reported drinking more alcohol than the low-risk guidelines, while 15% reported using a tobacco product in the last 30 days.

Addressing Alcohol and Tobacco Together: The health issues associated with tobacco and alcohol use are diverse and pervasive. Many of the health concerns associated with each substance are exacerbated by use of the other (i.e. smokers who also drink alcohol are at an increased risk for cancers of the oral cavity). Further, it has been found that Ontarians who drink alcohol above the recommended safe guidelines are more likely to be smokers. It thus follows that any widespread screening program should target identification of both behaviours. This is supported by recent work that found that alcohol and tobacco use are "often treated separately despite concurrent treatment potentially leading to better outcomes for each".

PCPs are uniquely positioned to impact health behaviours of their patients. Strong evidence and relevant guidelines encourage PCPs to consistently ask about tobacco and alcohol use as a crucial first step to identifying and treating risky behaviours. However, current clinical practice does not live up to these guidelines. A recent report showed that only 23% of patients in Canada had spoken with their providers about alcohol use in the past two years. Furthermore, screening is often limited to periodic health exam visits (i.e. 'complete physicals'), leading to missed opportunities to screen at visit types which may provide key teachable moments, as well as missing patients who may not be coming in for preventative health visits.

Digital, patient-initiated screening is increasingly being recognised as a promising method to improve screening rates by overcoming commonly identified screening barriers. Several small-scale studies have shown that digital, patient-initiated screening can be an efficient method of systematic screening in primary care with high acceptance and usability by patients. These methods may also empower patients to become more engaged in their own health care, particularly those who are both most likely to have risky behaviours and least likely to book preventative care visits.

Being tested
Behavioral: Usual care plus eToolkit
Medical subject headings
Tobacco Use, Tobacco Use Cessation, Alcohol Drinking

What participants receive

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

  • Behavioral: Usual care plus eToolkitBehavioural

    A baseline e-survey will be sent to participants prior to their scheduled appointment to collect baseline alcohol/tobacco use levels as well as a series of questions evaluating precursors to behaviour change. If randomized into the intervention group, patients will be sent a link to a tailored toolkit based on their behaviours, motivation to change and other pertinent factors. Patients who identify as non-smokers and meet the low-risk drinking guideline, will complete a third screening survey for physical activity. The cumulative patient profile (CPP) status for the patient for alcohol/smoking will be automatically updated post-baseline survey, and the PCP will receive a notification via EMR about the status update. For patients identifying with risky behaviours, the PCP will receive a prompt to update the CPP for the patient and will receive a link, embedded in the EMR, to a PCP-facing toolkit that facilitates evidence-based intervention.

Study groups in NCT04594304
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Personalized eToolkitExperimentalThe intervention arm will receive a personalized eToolkit with community and electronic supports upon survey completion, and their PCP will receive automatic supports in the EMR to assess and treat the patient's alcohol and/or tobacco use. In cases where a patient does not have risky alcohol and tobacco use, a personalized eToolkit based on their physical activity levels will be administered, and their PCP will receive automatic supports in the EMR to facilitate physical activity discussions. Intervention arm patient participants will be asked to complete a baseline e-survey before their scheduled appointment, a process evaluation e-survey 3 days following their appointment, and a 3 months follow-up e-survey following their appointment. Resources will be automatically produced for the patient and PCP following completion of the baseline e-survey.
Receives: Behavioral: Behavioral: Usual care plus eToolkit
Usual careNo interventionThe control arm will not receive intervention materials. Control arm patient participants will be asked to complete a baseline e-survey before their scheduled appointment, a process evaluation e-survey 3 days following their appointment, and 3 months follow-up e-survey following their appointment.

What is being measured

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

  1. Updated Cumulative Patient Profile (CPP) Status

    Updated CPP statuses for Alcohol and Smoking

    Measured: Baseline

  2. Updated Cumulative Patient Profile (CPP) Status

    Updated CPP statuses for Alcohol and Smoking

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  3. Discussion around risky substance use in clinic visit

    Patient reported discussion (Y/N) around risky substance use in clinic visit

    Measured: 3 days post appointment

Secondary outcomes (17)
  1. Level of satisfaction with intervention

    Patient's level of satisfaction (on a 5-point likert scale: Very satisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied) with intervention measured through a process evaluation questionnaire

    Measured: 3 days post appointment

  2. PCP administration of treatment resources/programs

    Patient reported receival of treatment resources, referrals and programs

    Measured: 3 days post appointment

  3. PCP administration of treatment resources/programs

    Patient reported receival of treatment resources, referrals and programs

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  4. PCP provisioning of pharmacotherapy

    Patient reported receival of prescriptions related to alcohol or tobacco use

    Measured: 3 days post appointment

  5. PCP provisioning of pharmacotherapy

    Patient reported receival of prescriptions related to alcohol or tobacco use

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  6. Patient engagement with personalized toolkit

    Patient reported engagement with toolkit

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  7. Patient motivation and self-efficacy to change

    Patient self-reported self-efficacy score is determined through 11 questions. Each question is scored from 1-4 (Not at all true, barely true, most true, exactly true). If the participant answers 'mostly true' or 'exactly true' to the majority of the statements (score of 30 or more) they have high self-efficacy. If participant answers 'barely true' or 'not at all true' to the majority of the statements (score of 29 or below), they have low self-efficacy.

    Measured: Baseline

  8. Patient motivation and self-efficacy to change

    Patient self-reported self-efficacy score is determined through 11 questions. Each question is scored from 1-4 (Not at all true, barely true, most true, exactly true). If the participant answers 'mostly true' or 'exactly true' to the majority of the statements (score of 30 or more) they have high self-efficacy. If participant answers 'barely true' or 'not at all true' to the majority of the statements (score of 29 or below), they have low self-efficacy.

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  9. Patient use of alcohol

    Patient reported number of drinks per week. A higher score is likely to indicate harmful drinking or alcohol dependence.

    Measured: Baseline

  10. Patient use of alcohol

    AUDIT score. A score of 8 or more is associated with harmful or hazardous drinking. A score of 13 or more in women, and 15 or more in men, is likely to indicate alcohol dependence.

    Measured: Baseline

  11. Patient use of alcohol

    Patient reported number of drinks per week. A higher score is likely to indicate harmful drinking or alcohol dependence.

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  12. Patient use of alcohol

    AUDIT score. AUDIT score. A score of 8 or more is associated with harmful or hazardous drinking. A score of 13 or more in women, and 15 or more in men, is likely to indicate alcohol dependence.

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  13. Patient use of tobacco

    Patient reported number of cigarettes per week. A higher number is likely to indicate increased risk for negative health outcomes.

    Measured: Baseline

  14. Patient use of tobacco

    Patient reported number of cigarettes per week. A higher number is likely to indicate increased risk for negative health outcomes.

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

  15. Proportion of consent

    Proportion of patients that consented, completed the surveys at each time interval, and at follow-up (with reasons for refusal if applicable)

    Measured: Baseline

  16. Proportion of consent

    Proportion of patients that consented, completed the surveys at each time interval, and at follow-up (with reasons for refusal if applicable)

    Measured: 3 days post appointment

  17. Proportion of consent

    Proportion of patients that consented, completed the surveys at each time interval, and at follow-up (with reasons for refusal if applicable)

    Measured: 3 months post appointment

Timeline

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

  1. First posted20 Oct 2020
  2. Study start2 Jan 2020
  3. Primary completion2 Apr 2021 (estimated)
  4. Study completion2 Aug 2021 (estimated)

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
Health services research
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
An independent statistician following a 2:1 ratio to increase opportunities to learn about the intervention processes during this pilot trial will randomly allocate consenting patients following the completion of their baseline survey to intervention or usual care using a computer-generated sequence.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
360 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04594304
Sponsor's protocol ID
2019-0002-E
Acronym
SWYW2
Status last verified
Feb 2021
First submitted
23 Jun 2020
Last updated
25 Feb 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Minian N, Baliunas D, Zawertailo L, Noormohamed A, Giesbrecht N, Hendershot CS, Le Foll B, Rehm J, Samokhvalov A, Selby PL. Combining alcohol interventions with tobacco addictions treatment in primary care-the COMBAT study: a pragmatic cluster randomized trial. Implement Sci. 2017 May 18;12(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s13012-017-0595-7.

    PubMed 28521782
  • Papadakis S, Cole AG, Reid RD, Coja M, Aitken D, Mullen KA, Gharib M, Pipe AL. Increasing Rates of Tobacco Treatment Delivery in Primary Care Practice: Evaluation of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation. Ann Fam Med. 2016 May;14(3):235-43. doi: 10.1370/afm.1909.

    PubMed 27184994
  • Carey M, Noble N, Mansfield E, Waller A, Henskens F, Sanson-Fisher R. The Role of eHealth in Optimizing Preventive Care in the Primary Care Setting. J Med Internet Res. 2015 May 22;17(5):e126. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3817.

    PubMed 26001983
  • Kumar PC, Cleland CM, Gourevitch MN, Rotrosen J, Strauss S, Russell L, McNeely J. Accuracy of the Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview version of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ACASI ASSIST) for identifying unhealthy substance use and substance use disorders in primary care patients. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 Aug 1;165:38-44. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.05.030. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

    PubMed 27344194
  • Rogausch A, Sigle J, Seibert A, Thuring S, Kochen MM, Himmel W. Feasibility and acceptance of electronic quality of life assessment in general practice: an implementation study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2009 Jun 3;7:51. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-7-51.

    PubMed 19493355
  • Hess R, Santucci A, McTigue K, Fischer G, Kapoor W. Patient difficulty using tablet computers to screen in primary care. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Apr;23(4):476-80. doi: 10.1007/s11606-007-0500-1.

    PubMed 18373148

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study of Alcohol; Harmful Use and Tobacco Use, run by Women's College Hospital at 1 site in Canada.

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 3 inclusion and 3 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Feb 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Canada. 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?

Results are not available in the source record.

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

Contact Natasha Kithulegoda, MPH (416-323-6400 ext. 8356, natasha.kithulegoda@wchospital.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Updated Cumulative Patient Profile (CPP) Status (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 3 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 NCT04594304, which also lists 6 linked publications.

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 25 Feb 2021.

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