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Symptom-Triggered Alcohol Withdrawal Management Delivered Over Telemedicine.

Journal of addiction medicine
May 1, 2025
Matthew E Sloan et al. (18 authors)
Journal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine the feasibility of delivering symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management via telemedicine for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and a history of alcohol withdrawal.

Results Summary

The study found that 93.3% of participants completed the 3-day telemedicine withdrawal management protocol, with no need for transfer to higher care levels. Satisfaction was high, and 56.7% remained abstinent after 30 days, though the single-arm design limits generalizability.

Population

Thirty actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal (demographics not specified).

Effective Dosage

Not applicable (intervention involved symptom-triggered withdrawal management via telemedicine).

Duration

3 days of withdrawal management, with follow-up at 30 days.

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine
no change
all 3 days of alcohol withdrawal management
actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal
93.3%
completed
#1
symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine
no change
need for transfer to a higher level of care
actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal
0%
required transfer to a higher level of care
#2
symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine
increase
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 score
actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal
30.9 (SD = 1.5) out of 32
satisfaction with treatment
#3
symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine
decrease
relapse to any alcohol use 30 days following treatment initiation
actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal
56.7%
remained abstinent from alcohol
#4
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally; however, access to evidence-based care for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is limited. Although telemedicine-based interventions promise to expand treatment access, there are no validated telemedicine-based interventions for alcohol withdrawal management. In this single-arm study, we sought to determine the feasibility of delivering symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine. METHODS: Thirty actively drinking participants with AUD and a history of alcohol withdrawal were recruited to participate. Participants were scheduled for 3 days of symptom-triggered withdrawal management using the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale Revised delivered by a trained clinician over a telemedicine platform. Primary outcomes were retention in treatment and need for transfer to a higher level of care (eg, the emergency room). Satisfaction with the treatment protocol and relapse to any alcohol use 30 days following treatment initiation were also assessed. RESULTS: In total, 93.3% of participants completed all 3 days of alcohol withdrawal management. No participants required transfer to a higher level of care. Satisfaction with treatment was high, with an average Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 score of 30.9 (SD = 1.5) out of 32. After the follow-up period, 56.7% of participants remained abstinent from alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides preliminary evidence that symptom-triggered alcohol withdrawal management over telemedicine is feasible and satisfactory for patients. If these findings are replicated, they could have important implications for access to alcohol withdrawal management services, especially in remote, rural, and underserved regions that lack specialized withdrawal management facilities.

Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy80/10
Quality70/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.40
Normalized Score0.66
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