Alcohol screening tools for people with cognitive impairment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study to explore which alcohol screening tools might be most appropriate for people with cognitive impairment
IRAS ID
117171
Contact name
Sarah Wadd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Alcohol misuse frequently coexists with, contributes to, or results in cognitive impairment and can affect the treatment and prognosis of this condition. Therefore it is particularly important that alcohol misuse is treated in people with cognitive impairment.
Attempts to treat alcohol misuse among people with cognitive impairment must begin with detection. Memory Assessment Services (MAS) are NHS organisations that assess individuals with symptoms indicative of cognitive impairment therefore they provide an ideal opportunity to screen for alcohol misuse in people with cognitive impairment. However, a survey which we carried out of MAS found that they were not using alcohol screening tools. A subsequent focus group which we conducted with MAS practitioners found that they were broadly supportive of incorporating screening tools into their practice and felt that it was feasible and desirable to do so.
It is difficult to know which alcohol screening tool to recommend for use in this setting because alcohol screening tools have not been evaluated for use with people with cognitive impairment. To address this knowledge gap, in this exploratory study, we will administer three commonly used screening tools to 10 MAS service users with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment to identify any problems with understanding or ability to answer the questions. Based on the findings of this study, a quantitative study will validate one or more of these tools in a sample of people attending MAS.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/0788
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jun 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion