Brief Interventions in General Hospital (BIG) (BIG)

Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness of brief interventions for hazardous and harmful alcohol abusers admitted to medical and surgical wards at the Southern General Hospital

Evidence for brief interventions in general hospital Further research is required to prove the benefits of brief interventions within general hospital, based on evidence from the Cochrane systematic review 'Brief interventions for heavy alcohol users admitted to general hospital wards' (McQueen et al 2009).

Links with national and international agendas The European Health Target12 supports a reduction in harm from alcohol drugs and tobacco. By the year 2015 the adverse health effects from the consumption of addictive substances such as alcohol should be reduced by all member states (European Health for all targets 1998) The Scottish government has set HEAT (Health improvement, efficacy and governance access and treatment) target for the NHS to deliver 149,449 alcohol brief intervention cumulatively over the period of 2008/9-2010/11 (Scottish Alcohol and Drugs Workforce 2008).

Research Design This study will employ a randomised control trial design. The primary outcome measure will be grams of alcohol consumed per week, measures will be taken at baseline, six months and one year post intervention. Secondary outcomes will consist of brief intervention's impact on hospital re-admission rates, attendance at A&E and mortality rates.