Mobile Chat Messaging for Alcohol Reduction in Patients With Chronic Liver Diseases

Mobile Chat Messaging Plus Screening-based Brief Alcohol Intervention for Patients With Chronic Liver Diseases: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

The goal of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the trial feasibility and acceptability of mobile chat messaging for reducing alcohol use among patients with chronic liver diseases. Specific objectives include:

1. To assess whether the eligibility criteria were too restrictive by estimating the eligibility rate
2. To assess how many eligible CLD patients accepted the invitation to participate in the trial
3. To assess the participant retention rate through 6 months after treatment initiation
4. To assess the intervention acceptability in terms of participants' engagement with and rating of the chat messaging intervention.
5. To assess the safety of the intervention
6. To estimate the intervention effect on alcohol use outcomes and liver functions
7. To synthesise data to inform the sample size calculation in the future definitive trial
8. To explore the participants' perception and experiences in the chat-based intervention

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥18 years
2. Diagnosed with chronic liver disease
3. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥8
4. Own a smartphone with a mobile instant messaging app installed
5. Able to read and communicate in Chinese

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Having a psychiatric or psychological disease or on psychotropic drugs
2. Participating in other alcohol reduction or abstinence programmes
3. Require emergency or in-patient treatment after consultation