ALCOHOL RELAPSE PREVENTION VIA PROSPECTIVE IVR FOLLOW-UP

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An innovative interactive voice response (IVR) system is proposed, integrating computerized self-monitoring of drinking and automated cognitive-behavorial coping skills training with follow-up aftercare of patients discharged from alcoholism treatment. Personal diaries of drinking and drinking-related urges are widely advocated for motivating and encouraging the reduction of alcohol consumption, and computer- automated telephone outreach programs for needs assessment and treatment have been developed and shown effective and cost efficient in other areas of health care. IVR monitoring of daily drinking has been identified as an important new technique needing further refinement and development as both a research and clinical tool (Sobell & Sobell, 1995). IVR data collection procedures and patient feedback mechanisms (encouragement of success, prevention of "slips" from initiating complete relapse) can promote and build upon treatment success. Proactive support mechanisms, such as counselor-initiated follow-up, can minimize the impact of problems that would not otherwise be detected. This research will evaluate these techniques for reducing relapse following discharge and for detecting relapse following onset, thereby facilitating more immediate, less intensive, and more effective intervention. A relapse prevention program demonstrating efficacy and cost efficiency, relative to the recurrent costs of retreatment, would be attractive to both insurers and treatment providers. IVR technology offers the opportunity for long-term, frequent interaction with recovering alcoholics in a cost-efficient fashion that could trade-off pennies for prevention against dollars for more intensive, less effective intervention subsequently. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Billions of dollars are spent annually treating alcoholism and alcohol- related problems. The basic idea of this proposal is that recovering alcoholics given toll-free access to interactive voice response monitoring could effectively be assisted in establishing and maintaining treatment goals with cost-efficiencies that would make the purchase of this service attractive to treatment providers. IVR technology offers the opportunity to provide long-term, individualized, frequent contacts with recovering alcoholics in a cost-efficient fashion that could trade-off pennies spent on prevention against dollars saved on subsequent, more intensive intervention.