Early alcohol-use screening in primary care to catch liver disease earlier
Official title: Early Identification of Alcohol-associated Liver Disease in Primary Care Using a Brief Alcohol Screening Questionnaire
Funded at Kaiser Foundation Research Institute · NIH-11448516 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A primary-care based study tests whether using a short alcohol-screening questionnaire can help identify people at risk for alcohol-associated liver disease sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kaiser Foundation Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oakland, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $759,219 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AA032491-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11448516 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older in primary care settings who may have varying levels of alcohol use.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with no alcohol use or those not at risk for liver disease may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at adults in primary care and tests a brief alcohol-questionnaire (AUDIT-C) to flag those at risk for liver disease before complications develop. If successful, it could lead to earlier monitoring and interventions to prevent serious liver outcomes. The study combines routine blood tests and simple risk scores to pinpoint patients who might benefit from further liver evaluation. The goal is to reduce liver-related deaths by catching disease earlier in everyday healthcare settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach works, patients could receive earlier liver disease identification and timely care to improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research suggests screening for risky alcohol use can guide interventions, but this exact primary-care screening approach for early ALD identification is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bradley, Katharine Anthony — Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Bradley, Katharine Anthony
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.