Home > The effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care settings: A systematic review

Kaner, Eileen FS and O'Dickinson, Heather and Beyer, Fiona and Campbell, F and Schlesinger, Carla and Heather, Nick and Saunders, John B and Burnand, Bernard and Pienaar, Elisabeth (2009) The effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care settings: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Review, 28, (3), pp. 301-323. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-3362.2009.00071.x.

Numerous studies have reported that brief interventions delivered in primary care are effective in reducing excessive drinking. However, much of this work has been criticised for being clinically unrepresentative. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of brief interventions in primary care and determine if outcomes differ between efficacy and effectiveness trials. Approach. A pre-specified search strategy was used to search all relevant electronic databases up to 2006. We also hand-searched the reference lists of key articles and reviews. We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) involving patients in primary care who were not seeking alcohol treatment and who received brief intervention. Two authors independently abstracted data and assessed trial quality. Random effects meta-analyses, subgroup and sensitivity analyses and meta-regression were conducted.


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