Web-based strategies have the potential to improve delivery of alcohol screening and brief intervention. In a recent controlled study, researchers randomized 429 university students who screened positive for hazardous or harmful drinking* to either a single web-based brief intervention, a web-based brief intervention with follow-up interventions at 1 and 6 months, or a control group receiving an educational pamphlet only. Interventions included alcohol assessments and personalized feedback. Participants completed web-based outcome assessments at 6 and 12 months.

• Compared with controls, participants in the single intervention group reported significantly lower frequency of drinking at 6 months (rate ratio [RR], 0.79), lower total alcohol consumption at 6 and 12 months (RR, 0.77 at both times), and fewer academic consequences at 6 and 12 months (RR, 0.76 and 0.80, respectively).
• Participants in the multidose group had similar results as the single-dose group but also reported fewer drinks on drinking days at 6 months (RR, 0.85), lower frequency of heavy drinking episodes at 6 months (RR 0.65), and fewer adverse consequences of heavy drinking at 12 months (RR, 0.81).

Comments by Tommie Ann Bower, MA
Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) methodologies are gaining recognition as tools to reach the 95% of people estimated to need, but not have access to, treatment for drug and alcohol use. Furthermore, SBI alone can help decrease use in those who drink hazardous amounts but do not have alcohol dependence. These people are also often not reached by in-person interventions. Screening in this study was not administered online, but the motivational intervention was. A single dose "e-SBI" had a positive impact on consumption and on academic problems. Although the authors acknowledge some limitations to the study, the results are promising enough to make us look at creating more pathways to treatment and prevention through expansion of web-based options.