Monash designs app to fight problem drinking

A/Prof Egerton-Warburton

Monash University has been awarded a highly competitive project in the state government’s latest initiative to curb problem drinking.

Launched last week, the inaugural VicHealth Innovation Challenge: Alcohol will work with entrepreneurs, non-for-profits, change-makers and universities to generate new ideas to reduce the amount Victorians drink, said CEO Jerril Rechter.

The successful Monash project, “Enough is Enough: Emergency Department Clinicians Action on Reducing Alcohol Harm”,  is a collaboration between the University, Monash Health, the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine and Hello Sunday Morning.

“As far as I am aware this is an international first for a university, tech start up and college to collaborate on an innovative digital solution to a major health care problem”, said lead researcher Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health.

 “Our project will develop a smart phone app to allow emergency department (ED) clinicians to identify hazardous drinkers and offer them a Brief Intervention (BI) and referral to appropriate follow up services.”

Clinicians will screen for harmful drinking on their smartphones, using the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Tool (AUDIT), which will be piloted at Monash Health ED, St Vincent’s ED and a Victorian regional hospital.

At Victoria’s largest health network, Monash Health ED admits 150,000 adults and adolescents every year.

“We estimate that 10% of ED cases attend as the result of harmful drinking and 50% have engaged in risky drinking,” added Associate Professor Egerton-Warburton.

“We plan to develop a BI that is feasible for busy ED clinicians to reduce alcohol harm in Victoria and reduce ED representation rates.”

A snapshot survey taken at 97 emergency departments (EDs) across Australia and 17 emergency departments across New Zealand last December revealed that one out of eight patients attended as a result of the harmful use of alcohol.  

In some hot spots as many as half the patients were in the ED because of alcohol.

Minister for Health, The Hon. Jill Hennessy, said the VicHealth Innovation Challenge: Alcohol was a great example of Victoria leading the way in encouraging a better drinking culture in Australia.

“The culture of drinking in Australia is beginning to change but many are still drinking alcohol at levels that put them at risk of short and long-term harm.”

Dan Lubman, Director of Turning Point and Professor of Addiction Studies and Services at Monash University said: “Injuries, accidents and assaults as a result of drinking to excess continues to be a major cause for community concern, with our research and what we see on the frontline highlighting the need for us all to reconsider Australia's current drinking culture.”

“VicHealth and their partners are to be congratulated for their innovation and commitment to tackling alcohol-related harms. Only by working together can we really develop a Victoria that has a more healthy relationship with alcohol,” Professor Lubman added.