Short alcohol advice from doctors and nurses may help people drink less

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   The review pooled 69 studies with 33,642 people who drank too much. They were seen in general practice or emergency care for other reasons. Most were men, about seven in ten.

2. 02

   What they did

   Each one was a short talk with a doctor or nurse, up to five sessions and under an hour in all. Usually it gave feedback on drinking and advice on cutting down. The other people got little or no advice, or only written information.

3. 03

   What happened

   After a year, people who had short talks drank about 20 grams a week less than those with little or no advice. Binge drinking and drinking days fell only a little, and the amount on each drinking day did not change. Many studies lost people before the end, and some small or no-effect studies may be missing.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 34 studies, short talks with doctors or nurses cut drinking more than little or no advice after a year.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 34 studies with 15,197 people · vs people who got little or no advice · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

2. Helped

   Across 15 studies, short talks cut binge drinking by only a little compared with little or no advice.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 15 studies with 6,946 people · vs people who got little or no advice · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

3. Helped

   Across 11 studies, short talks cut drinking days a week by only a little compared with little or no advice.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 11 studies with 5,469 people · vs people who got little or no advice · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

4. No difference

   Across 10 studies, short talks did not change the amount drunk per drinking day, compared with little or no advice.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Pooled analysis of 10 studies with 3,128 people · vs people who got little or no advice · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty moderate · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited

Source