Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention in the Czech Republic: Study Design

INTRODUCTION:

Screening and brief interventions (SBI) consist of a variety of activities aimed at people who engage in risky alcohol drinking, but who are not severely alcohol-dependent. Many studies have proved that SBI might serve as a very effective tool for reducing alcohol consumption and the associated negative consequences. However, the rate of SBI provided by healthcare professionals in the Czech Republic is relatively low. Our aim is to perform a quantified economic evaluation of SBI in the Czech Republic and thus point out its high importance in the field of alcohol policy.

METHODS:

To reliably estimate the benefits of SBI, the authors will perform a pilot validation of its efficiency. Within selected patients, the level of alcohol consumption will be investigated (AUDIT questionnaire) together with the level of quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire) before the intervention, and then again six months after the intervention. Respondents will be approached in collaboration with cooperating general practitioners. The authors will use cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) as the main research technique. The decision analytic model (DAM) will include three key elements—a set of probabilities with different treatment outcomes, a set of costs for implementing each of the possible treatment outcomes, and the health benefits of each possible outcome.

CONCLUSIONS:

The authors are aware that demonstrating the effectiveness of SBI on a national level would require a significantly broad participant base. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of alcohol SBI in the Czech Republic has not yet been thoroughly investigated so far. This pilot validation is therefore a necessary basis for further follow-up studies targeting at-risk Czech alcohol consumers and the regulation of their addictive behaviour.