Alcohol Intervention in an Inner-City Emergency Room

Howard University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application proposes the establishment of a Howard University "National Alcohol Screening Day in Academic Emergency Medicine Department Collaboration". The goal of this project is to translate motivational interventions successful in the primary care setting to the Emergency Department (ED) environment by implementing screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in order to reduce hazardous drinking among inner-city ED patients. Howard University will create a strong and effective infrastructure of staff and an optimum research environment to (1) reduce levels of hazardous drinking among inner-city ED patients; and (2) use publicity generated by National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) to enhance adoption of SBIRT by ED personnel and (physicians, nurses and EMTs). The Howard University NASD Project will be housed within the Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Pharmacology at Howard University Hospital which will serve as the hub for the management of all administrative and scientific functions. Under the direction and leadership of the Principal Investigator and Co-PI, an Administrative Core will be established with the following components: (1) an Executive Board to provide overall direction and guidance, (2) a Project Coordinator who will organize training sessions and quality control of all research activities, (3) a Research Coordinator who will actively participate in screening in the ED and directly oversee the data collection completed by other research personnel, (4) Interviewers will actively collect data and follow the operating procedures of this project, and (5) Administrative support personnel will provide technical support to the project. Howard University offers the NASD Program a diverse cultural setting to further investigate the impact of alcohol among minorities. Keeping in mind the vision of Healthy People 2010, this project can add invaluable contributions to the literature regarding the reduction of Health Disparities in health outcomes for poor, minorities, and other underserved people.