Home Visits in the Outpatient Treatment of Individuals Dependent on Alcohol Randomized Clinical Trial

Author(s)

Moraes, Edilaine ; Mendes de Campos, Geraldo ; Figlie, Neliana Buzie ; Bosi Ferraz, Marcos ; Laranjeira, Ronaldo

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS & THEIR TREATMENT; v. 9, n. 1, p. 14-pg., 2010-03-01.

Abstract

Aim: To compare the efficacy and effectiveness of conventional outpatient treatment for alcoholic patients [conventional treatment (CT)] with this same CT plus home visit (HV). Design: Randomized clinical trial evaluated alongside a 12-week. Setting: An outpatient clinic for alcohol dependents. Participants: One hundred twenty alcohol-dependent patients, randomized to CT or HV groups, with homogeneous clinic and sociodemographic characteristics (P > 0.1). Ninety percent were male, the mean age was 43 years (SD = 8.6), 41.7% were married, and 32.5% had a low educational level. Measurements: The main outcome measures were adherence, abstinence, and days of consumption. Other outcomes measured were quality of life (Short Form Health Survey-36), motivation for treatment (Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale and University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale), severity of problems in areas of life (Addiction Severity Index), and cognitive impairments (Frontal Assessment Battery). Findings: Adherence-85.5% for HV and 62.1% for CT (P = 0.003); quality of life mental area-51.2% for HV and 48.6% for CT (P = 0.006). Outcomes, such as abstinence cases and decreased problems in areas of life, showed statistically significant improvements favoring HV. Conclusions: The HV treatment provided better results than CT in many important outcomes, not only regarding the success of the treatment, but also for the improvement of the quality of life of the patients and their relatives. (AU)