Can remote counseling help people with HIV cut back on alcohol?
NCT ID NCT04546971
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether a telehealth counseling program can reduce heavy drinking and improve HIV viral control in people with HIV. Participants receive either a single brief alcohol counseling session or that session plus a referral to a program with multiple video counseling sessions and text message support. The trial follows participants for two years to track drinking, HIV viral load, and overall health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A telehealth counseling program combining brief alcohol advice, motivational interviewing sessions by video or phone, and text message support
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give HIV clinics a practical way to reach heavy drinkers at home and help them drink less while keeping the virus under control.
- What could go wrong
- Telehealth counseling may not change drinking habits enough to affect HIV viral load, and some participants may drop out of the remote sessions. The trial measures outcomes over two years, so any benefit would take time to appear.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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226 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Sep 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * In care for HIV at one of 4 participating federally qualified health centers, report at least one heavy drinking day (4+ drinks) or average more than 7 drinks per week in the past 30 days Exclusion Criteria: * need for supervised alcohol detoxification, as indicated by having a history of severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and delirium tremens.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, United States
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