Video visits to help adults with alcohol use disorder in primary care
Official title: Harnessing telemedicine to improve alcohol use disorder outcomes in primary care patients
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11103167 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers live video therapy through primary care to help adults with alcohol use disorder get and use effective treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $573,935 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA029400-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11103167 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with alcohol use disorder receiving primary care—especially those who have trouble accessing specialty addiction clinics—would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without reliable internet/video access or who prefer in-person specialty addiction care may not benefit from this telemedicine-focused approach.
What this research studies
If you have problems with drinking, this project would offer therapy sessions by live video (telemedicine) delivered through your primary care clinic. Therapists would use evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing adapted for video visits. The research team will compare this telemedicine approach to usual referral practices and track who starts treatment, how much they drink, and how daily life improves over time. Because the work expanded during COVID, they plan to use existing video technology so you can join from home and avoid the stigma of specialty clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, this approach could make it much easier for people with alcohol use disorder to start and stay in treatment and reduce drinking-related harm.
How similar studies have gone: Telemedicine has worked well for many mental health conditions, but rigorous trials testing video-delivered therapy specifically for alcohol use disorder have been limited or absent.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Lewei Allison — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Lin, Lewei Allison
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.