Table 1 Features of THRIVE and corresponding adaptations for DrinkCheck
From: Feedback from recently returned veterans on an anonymous web-based brief alcohol intervention
Features/Content | THRIVE | DrinkCheck |
|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ||
Length/design | Brief single-session; 1 intro, 7 assessment, 1 feedback, and 3 optional resources web pages | Brief single-session; 1 intro, 5 assessment, 5 feedback, and 1 optional resource web-page; civilian & military photos |
Standard drinks image | Number of drinks in an alcoholic beverage by type and packaging | Equivalent of 1 standard US drink by type |
ASSESSMENT | ||
Patient characteristics | Age, gender, weight, height | Age, gender, weight |
Drinking in past year | 10-item AUDIT | 3-item AUDIT-C plus question regarding typical choice of alcoholic beverages |
Drinking in last 4 weeks | Largest number of drinks consumed on one occasion and duration of episode | Unchanged |
Additional alcohol-related questions | Questions regarding other students drinking and alcohol labeling | Replaced with frequency of alcohol-related health and relationship concerns in past four weeks |
Tobacco use | Assessment of current use | Removed for simplification and brevity |
PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK | ||
Alcohol-risk category | ‘Non-hazardous,’ ‘hazardous,’ ‘harmful,’ and ‘dependent’ drinking based on AUDIT score | ‘Low-risk,’ ‘risky,’ ‘high-risk’ and ‘very high-risk’ drinking based on AUDIT-C score and reported consumption above NIAAA recommended limits* |
Normative feedback (age- & gender-based) | Above recommended limits drinking compared to Australian college students (typical drinks/occasion and typical drinks/week) | Participant heavy episodic drinking** compared to AUDIT-C responses from age- and gender-matched VA outpatients† (maximum drinks per one occasion and % of patients drinking less) |
Health and relationship concerns | Not part of feedback | Primary concerns in past 4 weeks reported as part of brief alcohol-related health feedback |
Alcohol calories | Not part of feedback | Weekly calories along with the equivalent in cheeseburgers and hours of exercise |
Blood alcohol concentration | Reported for highest drinking occasion in past 4 weeks along with likelihood of vehicular death | Reported for highest drinking occasion in past 4 weeks along with legal driving limit; adapted to US measures |
Money spent on alcohol | Estimated for past year | Estimated for past year; adapted to US measures |
Resources (non-personalized) | Three optional pages for alcohol-related ‘Facts’, ‘Tips’ and ‘Support’ | One page of VA and non-VA alcohol- and treatment-related resources, including links to NIAAA’s “Rethinking Drinking” |