Peer Recovery Coaching for Hospitalized Alcohol Use Disorder Patients

This study is testing a program called RC-Link, which provides peer recovery coaching to people hospitalized because of alcohol use disorder (AUD). You would be connected with a coach during your hospital stay, and they would provide support for six months. The study wants to see if this coaching helps reduce heavy drinking, improves overall well-being (biopsychosocial functioning), and helps people achieve remission from AUD. To join, you need to be 18 to 75 years old, live within 50 miles of the study site, and have a moderate or severe AUD diagnosis. The study is currently unclear on its recruitment status and plans to enroll 750 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 750 planned participants. It is designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
What's involved
Participants will receive coaching and support services for six months. The control group will receive a brief intervention and a referral list.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for changes in heavy drinking and biopsychosocial functioning for six months, and for AUD remission for up to 12 months.

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NCT06479681

A Peer Recovery Coaching Intervention for Hospitalized Alcohol Use Disorder Patients

Recruiting
NAAges 18–75InterventionalTreatment
Clemson University
~750 participants
Updated 2025-08-27 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Peer recovery coaching (PRC)Brief Intervention (SBIRT)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Per Month
Measured over one-month, 3-months, 6-months
+3 more outcomes measured
Alcohol Use Disorder
2 sites across 1 states
South Carolina2

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Live within 50 miles of the recruitment and plan to stay in the area for at least 6 months
Current DSM-V criteria for moderate or severe AUD (measured by a score of ≥4 on the DSM-V Checklist)
Hospitalized with a principal, primary, or secondary AUD-related diagnosis

Exclusion

Unable to provide informed consent
Patients referred to hospice during hospitalization
Women who are pregnant
Comorbid diagnosis or at-risk for methamphetamine, cocaine, or opioid use disorder as determined by a score of ≥4 on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Modified Assist v3.0
Current suicidal ideation
Incarcerated at time of hospitalization
Currently has a peer recovery coach
Toxicology screen positive for opiates, cocaine, or methamphetamine
Experiencing moderate/severe alcohol withdrawal based on physician assessment
Psychotic disorders or bipolar disorder documented in chart
  • Change in Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Per Monthone-month, 3-months, 6-months

    This outcome will be measured using the Alcohol Timeline Follow Back (TLFB), a calendar-based, self-report survey. The TLFB is the most widely used measure of alcohol use frequency in treatment trials for AUD and has strong reliability and validity in diverse populations.

  • Remission from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) AUD Diagnosisone-month, 3-months, 6-months, 12-months

    The DSM-5 checklist for AUD will be used to assess AUD diagnosis. Remission is defined as meeting 0 of the 11 criteria for AUD diagnosis, excluding craving. According to the NIAAA recovery definition, cessation of heavy drinking and AUD remission are classified as the following durations: initial (0-3 months), early (3-12 months), sustained (1-5 years), and stable (\>5 years). Using this definition, primary study endpoints will be 1-month post-baseline (initial recovery; past 1 month symptoms), 3-month post-baseline (early recovery; past 3-month symptoms), 6-month post-baseline (end of intervention period), and 1-year post-baseline (sustained recovery; past 12-month symptoms)

  • Change in Biopsychosocial Functioningone-month, 3-months, 6-months

    The self-report World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life brief version (WHOQoL-BREF) will measure biopsychosocial functioning. There are subscales for physical functioning, psychological functioning, level of independence, social relationships, environment, and spirituality. Items are scored on a 1 - 5 scale with higher scores reflecting higher levels of that subscale domain. These items are them transformed so that the raw scale score for each domain is converted to a 0-100 scale with higher scores reflecting greater quality of life on that domain.

  • Cost Effectiveness6-months

    The intervention cost will be determined by gauging recovery coach salaries and additional medical provider and support staff time required, and applying this cost to each interaction. We will examine the cost of hospital services (hospital charges), including emergency department visits, hospitalizations, psychiatric inpatient stay, medical outpatient costs, and physician professional fee costs.