The European Union through the 7th Framework Programme is funding the project ODHIN designed to increase the activity of the family physicians in the delivery of health care interventions for the hazardous and harmful alcohol drinking patients. The project began in January 2011, it will end in December 2014. Nineteen partners from 9 European countries are taking part in the project. Poland is represented by 3 institutions.

Hazardous drinking is an established level or pattern of alcohol consumption that carries a high risk of future damage if the drinking habits remain the same. Working WHO definition indentifies it as regular, average consumption of alcohol in quantities of 20-40 g of alcohol a day by a woman and a 40-60 g per day by a man. Harmful drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that causes damage to physical or mental health. Working WHO definition describes it as regular, average consumption of alcohol in quantities over 40 g of alcohol a day by a woman and more than 60 g per day by a man. The College of Family Physicians in Poland (KLRwP) and the State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems (PARPA) in cooperation with the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and the Medical University in Łódź, adapting the results of the European project PHEPA (Primary Health care European Project on Alcohol) have developed a strategy for primary health care in the prevention of hazardous and harmful alcohol drinking. The next step in the cooperation of representatives of these institutions is their participation with the Warsaw Medical University in the project ODHIN.

Assumption and an integral part of the project is to plan and carry out a randomized controlled trial, which will evaluate ways to increase the activity of the family physicians in the field of brief interventions delivered to hazardous and harmful alcohol drinking patients. In Poland primary health care units from 3 provinces taking care of 5,000-10,000 registered patients will be randomized. A two-three family physicians, from each of the 24 selected units to take part in the project, will be invited to the cooperation with simultaneous measurement of their existing activities in the delivery of short anti-alcohol intervention. The study will last for 24 months, and will begin in mid-2012. It will be carried out not only in Poland but also in Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

The expected benefit of the study is to increase the activity of the family physicians in the delivery of interventions to hazardous and harmful drinking patients. Identification of the most effective strategy will make a possibility of transferring it to the daily doctors practice. Practical applications of the project will be presented on the website, in a number of scientific publications, reports and summaries available throughout Europe. The experience of several European countries will allow to create the guidelines for the treatment of hazardous and harmful drinking patients for primary health care employees.

The studies planned in the ODHIN Project are funded by the European Commission, DG Research in the EU 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). Grant agreement no: 259268 THEME [HEALTH.2010.3.1-1] [Better understanding of dissemination and implementation strategies. FP7-HEALTH-2010-two-stage]. The project is co-financed from the resources of all partners.

Written by: Karolina Kłoda MD, PhD

Source:
1. http://ec.europa.eu/research/health/public-health/clinical-outcome-into-practice/projects/odhin_en.html
2. Anderson P, Gual A, Colom J. Alcohol and Primary Health Care: Clinical Guidelines on Identification and Brief Interventions. Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia: Barcelona, 2005.
3. Godycki-Ćwirko M, Brzózka K, Mierzecki A, Fudała J, Pacholik K, Modlińska B, Miączyńska M. Primary care in national strategy for prevention of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in Poland. Probl Med Rodz 2010;4:54-59.
4. Mierzecki A, Kłoda K, Anderson P, Gual A, Brzózka K, Wojnar M, Okulicz-Kozaryn K, Godycki-Ćwirko M. Increasing the activity of family physicians in the area of anti-alcohol brief interventions – protocol of RCT within ODHIN project. Probl Med Rodz Publication in process. Want to know more about effects of alkohol? Watch on medtube.net “Alcoholic Cirrhosis”