Hampshire IBA - Tier 2 pilots learning

The Hampshire Alcohol Intervention and brief advice (IBA) Commissioning Plan consists of actions to guide the development and delivery of alcohol brief intervention services in Hampshire throughout 2008-2009 and beyond. The plan contained four pilots, which were:

• Alcohol Brief Intervention in primary Care
• Alcohol Arrest Referral Service
• Emergency Department Alcohol Brief Intervention
• Winchester Prison Alcohol Brief Intervention 

Each was the subject of a full evaluation and a number of learning outcomes emerged from this for both the providers and the commissioners.

See here for the final evaluation report [pdf]. Key learning points were:

For the providers:

• The effectiveness of IBA at 3-months follow-up support the wider evidence-base of measurable behaviour change in around 12-15% of clients treated
• AUDIT scores and 'alcohol units' provide the best evidence regarding clients drinking patterns and behaviour change screening for alcohol brief interventions in both offender and acute . As AUDIT asks about drinking behaviour over the last year, capturing units consumed at both the initial assessment and at the end of the treatment is a better indicator of outcomes.
• Hospital settings highlight significant high risk/harmful drinking clients
• Screening for IBAs provides a useful mechanism for onward referral to specialist alcohol services

 For the commissioners:

• Simultaneously coordinating an ambitious workload between a large number of stakeholders and agencies has meant time is a constant issue.
• Partnership engagement and support surrounding the provider delivery of alcohol brief intervention services has been crucial. Those services who have engaged best with local partners are achieving greatest referral volumes and activity. Partnership requirements vary depending on setting. Key partners have been acute NHS trusts, police at the Operations Command Unit (OCU) and local level, local authority community safety managers, probation service managers, court services advisers and GPs.
• Outcomes may best be measured via changes within patterns of alcohol consumption (units) alongside AUDIT scores.

The full version of the report and further background information around these projects is available on the HubCAPP website.

See here for further IBA information and resources.