Team Science (The Liver Health Study)

February 3, 2026 updated by: Brown University

Team Science to Identify & Intervene on Metabolism- & Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Liver damage from alcohol intake and weight-related behaviors is preventable and treatable only through lifestyle changes. This mixed-methods randomized controlled trial compares standard and enhanced approaches to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment/prevention (SBIRT/P) to identify and intervene for metabolism- and alcohol-associated liver disease (MetALD). Our multidisciplinary team aims to show that integrating results of noninvasive liver screening with Fibroscan®, a painless ultrasound that measures stiffness and fat in the liver, can optimize our brief intervention. The study population is adults age 21+ who speak Spanish or English from underresourced communities with alcohol- and weight-related risks for MetALD.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
14

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02909
        • Clinica Esperanza Hope Clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Be at least 21 years of age.
  • Exceed alcohol intake screening guidelines for MetALD.
  • Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) >=25 kg/m2.
  • Be able to speak and read English or Spanish to provide written informed consent and understand written and oral instructions in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pre-existing liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma or prior liver transplant.
  • Pre-existing medical conditions that, in the opinion of the investigative team, would interfere with research participation (e.g., loss of kidney function, uncontrolled infections, multiorgan failure, uncontrolled upper gastrointestinal bleeding, other active malignancies except skin cancer).
  • Pre-existing mental health conditions that, in the opinion of the investigative team, would interfere with the ability to provide informed consent and understand written and oral instructions (e.g., hepatic encephalopathy, psychotic disorder diagnosis or symptoms).
  • Current pregnancy.
  • Be anyone who, based on self-reported withdrawal symptoms and the opinion of the investigative team, could not currently safely be withdrawn from alcohol without medical detoxification.
  • Currently receiving formalized psychosocial treatment for an alcohol use or drug problem and/or newly taking medications for an alcohol use or drug problem.
  • Currently receiving formalized behavioral weight management treatment and/or newly taking weight loss medications.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Standard Intervention
Participants randomly assigned to this arm will receive psychotherapy utilizing manualized principles of motivational interviewing with standard health information.
Behavioral: Brief motivational interviewing with standard health information
The manualized intervention is delivered individually in two phases by an interventionist trained in motivational interviewing. The intervention includes liver health information and explains connections with weight-related behaviors. The standard (control) group does not receive personalized feedback. The sessions are matched in duration and interventionist skill level with the enhanced (experimental) group.
Experimental: Enhanced Intervention
Participants randomly assigned to this arm will receive psychotherapy utilizing manualized principles of motivational interviewing that incorporates personalized feedback on self-reported alcohol intake and two scores from Fibroscan® liver imaging that indicate steatosis (liver fat) and fibrosis (liver scaring).
Behavioral: Brief motivational interviewing with personalized feedback
The manualized intervention is delivered individually in two phases by an interventionist trained in motivational interviewing. The intervention includes liver health information and explains connections with weight-related behaviors. The enhanced (experimental) group receives personalized feedback, i.e., a summary of self-reported drinking patterns and results of liver imaging with Fibroscan®, i.e., steatosis (liver fat) and fibrosis (liver scaring) scores. The feedback is used to develop discrepancies between a goal of halting or reversing health risks associated with consuming alcohol versus continuing to drink. The sessions are matched in duration and interventionist skill level with the standard (control) group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion Screened With Alcohol Intake and Weight-related Risks for Metabolism and Alcohol-associated Liver Disease
Time Frame: Screening
The primary feasibility outcome is the proportion screened who have alcohol intake and weight-related risks for metabolism and alcohol-associated liver disease. Alcohol intake risk is identified by the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption subscale (AUDIT-C). Weight-related risk is identified by body mass index, calculated from weight and height.
Screening
Proportion Eligible and Invited to Participate Who Agree to Noninvasive Liver Imaging With Fibroscan® and Arrive for Scheduled Baseline Appointment
Time Frame: Baseline
Baseline
Satisfaction With Fibroscan® Liver Imaging
Time Frame: Baseline
Satisfaction with liver screening is assessed with a single-item visual analog scale with 0 indicating low satisfaction and 100 indicating high satisfaction.
Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Alcohol Intake Assessed by Timeline Followback Interview Before and After Intervention
Time Frame: 30 days prior to intervention and 30 days after intervention
Timeline followback interviews will be individually administered in a semi-structured format by outcomes assessors who are masked to intervention condition. Interviews follow standardized procedures using a 30-day calendar to identify anchoring events, abstinent days, and types of alcohol consumed including ounces and alcohol by volume.
30 days prior to intervention and 30 days after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Brown University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 25, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 29, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 3, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 10, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 11, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 00000611
  • P20GM130414-06S1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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