Addiction Services Treatment Evaluation of Risk Cohort Study Pilot

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Addiction Services Treatment Evaluation of Risk (ASTERISK) Cohort Study Pilot

• IRAS ID

  213639

• Contact name

  Katherine Morley

• Contact email

  katherine.morley@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King's College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 3 days

• Research summary

  This is a pilot of a mixed-methods study investigating liver disease and
  associated risk factors in people treated for alcohol and drug dependence. People with substance use disorders have greater alcohol consumption, and hepatitis B and C infection than the general population, making them important targets for liver disease intervention. However, treatment levels for viral infection and heavy alcohol use are low amongst individuals seeking treatment for alcohol and drug dependence. The aim of this study is to investigate perceived barriers to receiving treatment for these conditions in this population, and to develop tools that will assist clinicians in identifying individuals at high risk of developing liver disease so that treatment can be more effectively targeted.

  This study will involve conducting interviews with clients receiving treatment for alcohol or drug dependence at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Addiction Services Clinics. All clients aged 18 and over will be eligible to participate. Clients will be asked about their alcohol and drug use history, previous diagnoses with liver disease or related conditions such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, whether or not they sought treatment for any diagnosed conditions, and how they view access to these treatments. This interview is anticipated to take no more than 1 hour. Participants will also be asked for permission to link their interview data to their electronic medical record data. Participants will be paid for their time.
  
  This is a pilot for a larger study. Consequently, it will only last five months and the main outcome of interest will be the percentage of clients who agree to participate in the study. The pilot study is funded by Alcohol Research UK.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/EE/0060

• Date of REC Opinion

  22 Feb 2017

• REC opinion

  Unfavourable Opinion