Older adults become more sensitive to alcohol, and alcohol also interacts adversely with their common medical conditions and medications. The aim of Project SHARE (Senior Health and Alcohol Risk Education) is to see whether patient and provider education can decrease risky alcohol use and reduce health care costs in persons 65 years of age and older.

Alcohol use in the elderly is an increasingly important public health problem. Alcohol-related risks and problems in older persons may come from the interaction between alcohol and diminished health or medication use. The proposed study is a randomized trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an integrated patient-provider intervention to prevent harmful (presence of alcohol-related problems such as liver disease or depression) and hazardous alcohol use (risks for problems) in older adults. The intervention will include a tested computerized screening and education system that was developed especially for older adults and their providers, supplemented by a well-established intervention for physicians. The proposed research design involves randomization of 28 primary care physicians in four clinics and their eligible patients aged 65+ to the intervention versus “usual care.”

Ages Eligible for Study:  65 Years and above,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 65 and over
• Hazardous or harmful drinker

Exclusion Criteria:

• Dementia
• Expected to move out of area or into nursing home within following year
• Dependent drinker