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Trials
Published in: Trials 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Study protocol

Investigating the added effects of guidance in digital psychological self-care for alcohol problems (ALVA)—protocol for a randomized factorial optimization trial

Authors: Christopher Sundström, Ekaterina Ivanova, Philip Lindner, Magnus Johansson, Martin Kraepelien

Published in: Trials | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

The continual development and implementation of effective digital interventions is one important strategy that may serve to bridge the well-known treatment gap related to problematic alcohol use. Research suggests that clinician guidance, provided in different ways during the digital intervention (i.e., written weekly messages, phone calls etc.), can boost intervention engagement and effects. Digital psychological self-care (DPSC) is a new delivery format wherein an unguided digital intervention is provided within the framework of a structured care process that includes initial clinical assessment and follow-up interviews. In a recent feasibility study, a DPSC intervention for problematic alcohol use, ALVA, provided without any extra guidance, was found safe and credible and to have promising within-group effects on alcohol consumption. The aim of the current study is to gather information on the effects and efficiency of different forms of guidance added to ALVA, in order to optimize the intervention.

Methods

This protocol describes a randomized factorial trial where the effects of two different ways of providing guidance (mid-treatment interview, weekly written messages, respectively) in DPSC for problematic alcohol use are investigated. Optimization criteria will be applied to the results regarding how effective the intervention is at reducing alcohol consumption measured by the number of standard drinks per week together with the clinician time spent on guidance.

Discussion

This study will investigate the added benefit of different forms of guidance to DPSC for problematic alcohol use. These added effects will be compared to the added cost of guidance, according to pre-defined optimization criteria.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05649982. Registered on 06 December 2022. Prospectively registered.
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Metadata
Title
Investigating the added effects of guidance in digital psychological self-care for alcohol problems (ALVA)—protocol for a randomized factorial optimization trial
Authors
Christopher Sundström
Ekaterina Ivanova
Philip Lindner
Magnus Johansson
Martin Kraepelien
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Trials / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-07981-6

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