Alcohol ConsumptionTele-BASICSNCT06774300
Evaluating Telehealth Delivery of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students
A study testing BASICS and Online alcohol programming in people with Alcohol Consumption, run by University of Southern California at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This research study will test the efficacy of a telehealth version of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which is the gold standard prevention and intervention approach to target heavy alcohol use on college campuses across the United States. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 26 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Alcohol Consumption
- What is being tested?
- BASICS and Online alcohol programming
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 600 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2025to 31 Jul 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 26 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- between 18 and 26 years of age
- fluent in understanding English
- a registered student at one of the two intervention sites
- adequate internet capabilities to support video-conferencing
- access to a webcam, which is a standard features of most laptops, mobile devices, and desktops
- engage in binge drinking (i.e., 4 or more standard drinks in a sitting for women or 5 or more standard drinks in a sitting for men) at least once in the past month (for the volunteer sample only)
- experienced at least one negative alcohol-related consequence in the previous month (mandated students would meet this due to receiving an alcohol sanction)
- reports a score of 2 or higher on questions about a) interest in reducing their drinking, or b) interest in not increasing their drinking.
Who cannot join
- not meeting inclusion criteria or unwillingness to participate
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Houston
Houston, Texas, 77204
Clayton Neighbors, Ph.D., 713-743-2255, cneighbo@central.uh.edu
About this study
This research study will test the efficacy of a telehealth version of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which is the gold standard prevention and intervention approach to target heavy alcohol use on college campuses across the United States.
Read the detailed description
In this study, the researchers will evaluate the efficacy of a tele-BASICS approach utilizing the ZOOM application compared to in-person BASICS and a lower threshold treatment as usual intervention. Three hundred mandated and 300 volunteer students who report hazardous drinking will be recruited from two large universities and randomly assigned to a condition (in-person BASICS, Tele-BASICS, or treatment as usual). Follow-up assessments will occur 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline. The significance of this research lies in the potential to maximize access to the highest standard of care by establishing support for easier access without sacrificing any central features of the traditional BASICS intervention. In addition, many universities pragmatically adapted existing in-person interventions to remote-telehealth approaches in response to the COVID pandemic but now have no scientific basis for determining whether transitioning back to in-person approaches would be beneficial.
- Conditions
- Alcohol Consumption
- Being tested
- BASICS, Online alcohol programming
- Keywords
- alcohol, drinking, brief intervention, teleheath
- Medical subject headings
- Alcohol Drinking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
BASICSBehavioural
The intervention is the BASICS protocol outlined in the BASICS manual. It includes an online self-administered assessment and then delivery of a feedback session either in-person or over Zoom.
Online alcohol programmingBehavioural
This is a control intervention that is used as the first-line sanction for students at the two universities. It is an online program, informed by BASICS content, but contains no facilitator and is self-directed.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| In-person BASICS | Experimental | This intervention conditions consist of a feedback interview with a trained facilitator. The feedback interview is a one-hour intervention based on the information provided during the baseline assessment. The content and process of the interview will be similar to methods developed and tested by Marlatt and colleagues and described in detail in the BASICS manual. Trained facilitators will meet individually with the students in-person and provide concrete personalized feedback regarding the following BASICS content: drinking patterns, drinking norms, risks, beliefs about alcohol and its effects, and protective behavioral strategies Receives: Behavioral: BASICS |
| Tele-BASICS | Experimental | This intervention conditions consist of a feedback interview with a trained facilitator just like in the in-person BASICS condition. However, the feedback interview will be conducted over Zoom. Trained facilitators will meet individually with the students using video conferencing software and provide concrete personalized feedback regarding the following BASICS content: drinking patterns, drinking norms, risks, beliefs about alcohol and its effects, and protective behavioral strategies Receives: Behavioral: BASICS |
| Treatment as usual | Active comparator | The control group for this study will receive the universities' online program that is typically given to students as a first line sanction. The program is informed by BASICS, but includes no facilitator, either in-person or online. It is primarily text-based with some graphics. It contains alcohol information (physiological reactions at specific blood alcohol levels, safe drinking tips, signs of alcohol poisoning), descriptions of alcohol laws and policies (on campus, minor in possession laws), campus and national resources (e.g., contact information for crisis hotlines and student counseling center), and personalized feedback (e.g., number of calories consumed via alcoholic drinks, money spent on alcohol). Receives: Behavioral: Online alcohol programming |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Alcohol use
Quantity and frequency of alcohol use in the past month (i.e., how many days drank and how many drinks per occasion). Assessed at baseline and then 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline.
Measured: Assessed over the course of 12 months
Alcohol-related consequences
Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire assesses past month consequences from alcohol use. Higher scores indicate more endorsement of the 24 consequences (yes/no) items on the scale. Outcome assessed at baseline and then 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline
Measured: Assessed over the course of 12 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Completion rates
We will evaluate completion rates of the each of the three programs tested in this study. This will be indicated by whether participants attended their scheduled BASICS session or fully completed their online treatment as ususal alcohol program
Measured: One time assessment at end of program, after 1 session is completed 1 to 2 weeks post-baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jan 2025
- Study start1 Sep 2025
- Primary completion31 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Alcohol ConsumptionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Southern CaliforniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 600 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern California
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Houston, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Eric Pedersen, University of Southern California
- Investigators
- Eric R Pedersen, Ph.D., Principal investigator, University of Southern CaliforniaClayton Neighbors, Ph.D., Principal investigator, University of Houston
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06774300
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R01AA031252
- Other IDs
- R01AA031252
- Acronym
- Tele-BASICS
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 31 Dec 2024
- Last updated
- 17 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: Data will be uploaded to the NIAAA Data Archive (NIAAADA) consistent with NIAAA protocols and requirements. Data will be shared to the repository for other researchers to access in non-identifiable form. Participants will be informed that their anonymous data will be uploaded to the NIAAADA.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluating Telehealth Delivery of Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06774300
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Tele-BASICS / R01AA031252
- Conditions
- Alcohol Consumption
- Keywords
- alcohol, drinking, brief intervention, teleheath
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 600 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- University of Houston, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This research study will test the efficacy of a telehealth version of the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), which is the gold standard prevention and intervention approach to target heavy alcohol use on college campuses across the United States.
Detailed description
In this study, the researchers will evaluate the efficacy of a tele-BASICS approach utilizing the ZOOM application compared to in-person BASICS and a lower threshold treatment as usual intervention. Three hundred mandated and 300 volunteer students who report hazardous drinking will be recruited from two large universities and randomly assigned to a condition (in-person BASICS, Tele-BASICS, or treatment as usual). Follow-up assessments will occur 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline. The significance of this research lies in the potential to maximize access to the highest standard of care by establishing support for easier access without sacrificing any central features of the traditional BASICS intervention. In addition, many universities pragmatically adapted existing in-person interventions to remote-telehealth approaches in response to the COVID pandemic but now have no scientific basis for determining whether transitioning back to in-person approaches would be beneficial.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| In-person BASICS | Experimental | Behavioral: BASICSThis intervention conditions consist of a feedback interview with a trained facilitator. The feedback interview is a one-hour intervention based on the information provided during the baseline assessment. The content and process of the interview will be similar to methods developed and tested by Marlatt and colleagues and described in detail in the BASICS manual. Trained facilitators will meet individually with the students in-person and provide concrete personalized feedback regarding the following BASICS content: drinking patterns, drinking norms, risks, beliefs about alcohol and its effects, and protective behavioral strategies |
| Tele-BASICS | Experimental | Behavioral: BASICSThis intervention conditions consist of a feedback interview with a trained facilitator just like in the in-person BASICS condition. However, the feedback interview will be conducted over Zoom. Trained facilitators will meet individually with the students using video conferencing software and provide concrete personalized feedback regarding the following BASICS content: drinking patterns, drinking norms, risks, beliefs about alcohol and its effects, and protective behavioral strategies |
| Treatment as usual | Active comparator | Behavioral: Online alcohol programmingThe control group for this study will receive the universities' online program that is typically given to students as a first line sanction. The program is informed by BASICS, but includes no facilitator, either in-person or online. It is primarily text-based with some graphics. It contains alcohol information (physiological reactions at specific blood alcohol levels, safe drinking tips, signs of alcohol poisoning), descriptions of alcohol laws and policies (on campus, minor in possession laws), campus and national resources (e.g., contact information for crisis hotlines and student counseling center), and personalized feedback (e.g., number of calories consumed via alcoholic drinks, money spent on alcohol). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 26 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- between 18 and 26 years of age
- fluent in understanding English
- a registered student at one of the two intervention sites
- adequate internet capabilities to support video-conferencing
- access to a webcam, which is a standard features of most laptops, mobile devices, and desktops
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- not meeting inclusion criteria or unwillingness to participate
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| BASICSThe intervention is the BASICS protocol outlined in the BASICS manual. It includes an online self-administered assessment and then delivery of a feedback session either in-person or over Zoom. | Behavioural | In-person BASICS, Tele-BASICS |
| Online alcohol programmingThis is a control intervention that is used as the first-line sanction for students at the two universities. It is an online program, informed by BASICS content, but contains no facilitator and is self-directed. | Behavioural | Treatment as usual |
Primary outcome
Alcohol use
Time frame: Assessed over the course of 12 months
Quantity and frequency of alcohol use in the past month (i.e., how many days drank and how many drinks per occasion). Assessed at baseline and then 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline.
Alcohol-related consequences
Time frame: Assessed over the course of 12 months
Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire assesses past month consequences from alcohol use. Higher scores indicate more endorsement of the 24 consequences (yes/no) items on the scale. Outcome assessed at baseline and then 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline
1 secondary outcome
Completion rates
Time frame: One time assessment at end of program, after 1 session is completed 1 to 2 weeks post-baseline
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Data will be uploaded to the NIAAA Data Archive (NIAAADA) consistent with NIAAA protocols and requirements. Data will be shared to the repository for other researchers to access in non-identifiable form. Participants will be informed that their anonymous data will be uploaded to the NIAAADA.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Eric R Pedersen, Ph.D. principal investigator
University of Southern California
Clayton Neighbors, Ph.D. principal investigator
University of Houston
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing BASICS and Online alcohol programming in people with Alcohol Consumption, run by University of Southern California at 1 site 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 8 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Jun 2026. 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 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Eric R Pedersen, Ph.D. (323-442-4046, Eric.Pedersen@med.usc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Alcohol use (time frame: Assessed over the course of 12 months). 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?
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 17 Jun 2026.