Effectiveness of a text message brief intervention (BI) to reduce alcohol-related harm on the Plastic Surgery service at CMDHB

INTERVENTION: Use of a web based, text messaged delivered BI to affect change in harmful drinking behaviour. Drinking behaviours and harms will be assessed by the validated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) alcohol screening test as well as the brief version of the Young Adults Alcohol Related Consequences Questionnaire (B‐YAARCQ) to assess and reduce alcohol‐related harm. These will be administered on sign up, at 6 weeks and at 3 months following recruitment. There are three arms to study: The first arm gives access to the website questionnaires only ("Control arm"). The second arm delivered standardized text messages as a BI at pre‐determined times ("Passive arm") weekly for six weeks. The third arm delivered text messages designed by the participants ("Active arm") weekly for six weeks. Participants will be approached (face‐to‐face) to enroll once admitted to the Plastic Surgery department at Middlemore hospital with an alcohol‐related injury requiring treatment. Approach will be made by a non‐surgical team member. Patients will be given a written information sheet about the trial. All other information in provided on line, via the customised SpillIt website. Randomisation will happen automatically by the website computerised randomization process once the patient signs up. A copy of the standardized text messages delivered to group two is attached as a separate document at the end of this application (called "my message schedule"). Participants in the third (active) arm will then have the opportunity to write their own personalised messages and determine the dates and times they will be delivered via text message to their phones. These participants are then given free reign ton type their own message (any wording, in any language) into a field on the website; select the date and time from the integrated calendar, and submit the message. This will then be delivered to the mobile phone umber linked with the account at the pre‐determined time. No specific guidance is given to these participants regarding their messages. They are able to text anything they like to themselves. The participants are left alone to type this, to allow privacy of message content from the recruiter. Previous research has shown approximately 5% of messages to be "anti‐messages" ‐ that is, not related to safe alcohol practices, or even supporting higher alcohol consumption. The researchers consider this to be an acceptable trade‐off for allowing free reign, personalised safe use of alcohol related messages in the remaining 95%. CONDITION: Alcohol use PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) alcohol screening test from initial assessment (at enrollment) to three month assessment following BI. Change in the validated brief version of the Young Adults Alcohol Related Consequences Questionnaire (B‐YAARCQ) from baseline (at enrollment) to three months following BI. SECONDARY OUTCOME: Analysis of the acceptability of the intervention to our population, as measured by recruitment and dropout rates ; INCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants must be aged 16 years and over, be treated at and/or admitted to the Middlemore Plastic Surgery service with both a personal injury and a history of alcohol consumption in the previous 6 hours, and own a mobile phone There will be no limit to the number of participants as the interest in and up‐take of the service is one of the discovery aims of the study