A pilot study of an alcoholic liver disease recurrence prevention education program in hospitalized patients with advanced liver disease

No systematic work has been completed to assess whether or not educational programming might exert lifestyle improvements among alcoholic liver disease (ALD) inpatients. The present pilot study sought to answer this question through the use of a small-scale two-group experiment (five-session education program versus standard care) at a state-of-the art Liver Unit that provided tertiary care of indigent patients with advanced ALD. A total of 44 patients were initially randomly assigned to program conditions, and 25 provided 3-month follow-up data (13 in the program condition, 12 in the control condition). Patients who received the program reported high receptivity to it, and showed greater learning of program material and reported greater lifestyle changes than the control patients. For those ALD inpatients that are able and willing to participate, the program shows promising effects on self-reported lifestyle change.