Research Projects
RI Early Intervention Study (REIS)
Researchers: Richard Longabaugh,
EdD; Robert Woolard, MD; Ted Nirenberg, PhD; Allison Minugh, PhD;
Bruce Becker, MD, MPH; Patrick Clifford, PhD; Kathleen Carty, LICSW;
Frank Sparadeo, PhD and Aruna Gogineni, PhD
Injury Prevention Center research has found that more than one-fifth
of subcritically injured people who come to hospital emergency departments
are intoxicated. And, a single alcohol-related emergency department
visit is a strong predictor of continued problem drinking, alcohol-impaired
driving and future injury. Therefore, a visit to an emergency department
can be an excellent opportunity for intervention.
So, once the doctor has attended to the physical damage, what can
be done to tackle the patient's drinking problem? In a study funded
by the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, researchers
from the Injury Prevention Center and Brown University Center for
Alcohol and Addiction Studies demonstrated that injured patients
with an alcohol use problem who received a brief motivational intervention
in the emergency department, followed up by a booster session, significantly
reduced their alcohol-related injuries and other negative consequences.
The researchers' theory is that the proximity of injury and intervention
creates a "teachable moment," giving the interventionist
an opportunity to help patients explore their drinking patterns
and motivate them to plan to reduce negative consequences from drinking
in the future.
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