Using telehealth to help young people with alcohol and drug use
Official title: Virtual SBIRT for Pediatric Primary Care: Increasing Access to Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment for Alcohol and Other Drug Use via Telehealth
Funded at Kaiser Foundation Research Institute · NIH-10911280 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is exploring how online health services can help teenagers who are having problems with alcohol and drugs by making it easier for doctors to provide support and treatment right from their offices.
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 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $653,143 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030701-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10911280 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 21 who are experiencing or at risk for alcohol and other drug use.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not adolescents or those who do not have access to telehealth services may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how telehealth can be used to provide Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) for adolescents struggling with alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. By implementing a centralized virtual approach, the study aims to make these essential services more accessible in pediatric primary care settings. The methodology focuses on overcoming barriers faced by healthcare providers, such as time constraints and lack of trained staff, to ensure early identification and intervention for AOD use. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of this telehealth model in improving health outcomes for young patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve access to early intervention services for adolescents dealing with substance use issues.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that telehealth approaches can effectively address adolescent mental health and substance use issues, indicating a promising avenue for this study.
Where this research is happening
-
Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sterling, Stacy Ann — Kaiser Foundation Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Sterling, Stacy Ann
Related research
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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.