Alcohol Expert System Intervention for Problematic Alcohol Use

In a randomized controlled trial, patients recruited in a general hospital and fulfilling criteria for alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse or at-risk drinking will be randomly allocated to two conditions:(1) Transtheoretical Model (TTM)-based expert system group, patients receive an individualized feedback on drinking norms, health-related risks and core constructs of the TTM, augmented by a TTM-based manual, (2) Control group,receiving a booklet on health behavior. Outcome assessment will be conducted after 12 months. The hypothesis is that individualized feedback leads to greater reduction in alcohol consumption and elevated readiness to change at follow-up.