Telehealth Treatment of Veterans With Alcohol Misuse at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Description

The primary objective of this project is to refine a cognitive-behavioral intervention for comorbid alcohol misuse and modifiable CVD risk with diverse stakeholder input, so that the intervention can be deployed within existing VA systems. The intervention will deliver telehealth CBT for alcohol misuse, tailored and timely text messages facilitating clinical traction with CVD risk reduction, and a telehealth coaching call to transition focus of treatment targets. The primary hypotheses of this study are that the developed intervention will be feasible to deliver, acceptable to Veterans and clinicians, and show signs of reducing alcohol misuse and increasing behaviors associated with cardiovascular health.

Conditions

Alcohol Misuse, Hypertension, Elevated Cardiovascular Risk

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The primary objective of this project is to refine a cognitive-behavioral intervention for comorbid alcohol misuse and modifiable CVD risk with diverse stakeholder input, so that the intervention can be deployed within existing VA systems. The intervention will deliver telehealth CBT for alcohol misuse, tailored and timely text messages facilitating clinical traction with CVD risk reduction, and a telehealth coaching call to transition focus of treatment targets. The primary hypotheses of this study are that the developed intervention will be feasible to deliver, acceptable to Veterans and clinicians, and show signs of reducing alcohol misuse and increasing behaviors associated with cardiovascular health.

Telehealth Treatment of Veterans With Alcohol Misuse at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease (CDA 19-035)

Telehealth Treatment of Veterans With Alcohol Misuse at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Condition
Alcohol Misuse
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Durham

Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705-3875

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Enrolled in 1 of 3 primary care clinics associated with the Durham VAHCS, as evidenced by at least one outpatient PCP visit recorded in Managerial Cost Accounting (MCA) system.
  • * Diagnosis of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and/or diabetes mellitus in EHR (ICD-10 codes I10, E78.xx, and E11.xxxx) for at least one year.
  • * Uncontrolled BP (indicated by average outpatient past year systolic BP of \>140/100mmHg). \> 1 measurement required.
  • * Currently prescribed at least one oral medication for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and/or diabetes mellitus as evidenced by at least one pharmacy refill within the previous year.
  • * Most recent EHR AUDIT-C 5 (suggestive of alcohol misuse).
  • * Self-reported access to any SMS text-capable phone.
  • * Appropriate medication regimen for CVD prevention, screened by research coordinator and reviewed by Matt Crowley, MD (Mentor).
  • * Current enrollment in another trial for CVD risk reduction or medication adherence specifically.
  • * Current participation in other alcohol misuse treatment programming.
  • * EHR AUDIT-C suggestive of severe alcohol dependence requiring medical treatment, defined as 10-12 for both men and women.
  • * Any recent or impending procedures that would warrant inpatient hospital stays or considerable changes to current medications (e.g., any changes other than altered doses).
  • * Current palliative care or care through a nursing/hospice home.
  • * History of clinically significant alcohol withdrawal symptoms, as evidenced by a score 10 on the CIWA.
  • * Contraindicated medication regimen for CVD prevention, screened by research coordinator and reviewed by Matt Crowley, MD (Mentor).

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Daniel Blalock, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Study Record Dates

2026-05-30