Reflection Learning

One of the leading causes of the global burden of disease, which is prevalent in my community is drug/alcohol abuse. According to Degenhardt et al. (2018), excessive drug and alcohol use can lead to adverse consequences in a community’s social aspects, productivity, economy, and health. IHME (2017) asserts that everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life. Therefore, the community must apply the relevant evidence-based interventions to deal with drug/alcohol abuse and lower the burden of disease associated with it. Murray et al. (2018) reveal that effective interventions in having desirable mortality and morbidity rates in society.

     A search for three randomized control trials (RCT) addressing an intervention to ease the burden of disease yields the following results:

· RCT 1: The results of RCT 1 are reported in an article titled “Effect of Alternative Income Assistance Schedules on Drug Use and Drug-Related Harm: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Richardson et al. (2021).

· RCT 2: The results of RCT 2 are reported in an article titled “Internet-Delivered Treatment for Substance Abuse: A Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial” by Campbell et al. (2014).

· RCT 3: The results of RCT 3 are reported in an article titled “Screening and Brief Intervention for Drug Use in Primary Care: The ASPIRE Randomized Clinical Trial” by Saitz et al. (2014).

    The database source of RCT 1 is Lancet. The database source of RCT 2 is the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The database of RCT 3 is the Journal of the American Medical Association.

     An evidence synthesis of the three RCTs: In RCT 1, Richardson et al. (2021) investigated the impact of monthly disbursement of income assistance on illicit drug use. It was hypothesized that consumption patterns of drugs and alcohol are associated with payments, a phenomenon known as, 'the check effect.' Participants in the trials were placed in three groups with different frequencies of income disbursement. The results showed that there was increased drug and alcohol abuse among the participants whenever payment was disbursed to them. Thus, Richardson et al. (2021) recommended the adoption of modified income assistance payment schedules that can prevent drug/alcohol use escalations.

            In RCT 2, Campbell et al. (2014) investigated the effectiveness of an internet-based therapeutic education system on the treatment of drug/alcohol use disorders. This system was compared to the standard therapy offered to clients in a community center. The results suggested that there was a lower dropout rate in the internet-based therapeutic education system. Also, Campbell et al. (2014) concluded that this internet-based system has a high potential to enhance addiction treatment outcomes.

            In RCT 3, Saitz et al. (2014) investigated the efficacy of screening and brief intervention when dealing with the problem of drug/alcohol abuse. The participants were subjected to three conditions: motivational interviewing (MOTIV), brief negotiated interview (BNI), and no brief intervention. The results showed that none of the interventions was effective in lowering cases of drug/alcohol abuse. Overall, these three sources reveal various factors that impact drug/alcohol abuse. Therefore, when coming up with an intervention, it is essential to consider various elements that impact the client’s life to come up with a holistic intervention.

     As a DNP scholar, I will disseminate information to impact the point of care by using three techniques: presentations, papers, and posters. Depending on my target audience, I will implement the appropriate technique to have a significant outcome on their healthcare needs. Christenbery and Latham, (2013) assert that the use of presentations, papers, and posters can help nurses disseminate various types of information effectively to facilitate positive healthcare outcomes.

 

References

Campbell, A. N. C., Nunes, E. V., Matthews, A. G., Stitzer, M., Miele, G. M., & Polsky, D. (2014). Internet-delivered treatment for substance abuse: A multi-site randomized controlled clinical trial. Am J Psychiatry, 171(6), 683–690.

Christenbery, T. L., & Latham, T. G. (2013). Creating effective scholarly posters: A guide for DNP students. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 25(1), 16-23.

Degenhardt, L., Charlson, F., Ferrari, A., Santomauro, D., Erskine, H., Mantilla-Herrara, A., ... & Vos, T. (2018). The global burden of disease attributable to alcohol and drug use in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet Psychiatry, 5(12), 987-1012.

IHME (2017). The global burden of disease. IHME. http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/infographics/GBD2015_Brief_Final_6_12_17.pdf

Murray, C. J., Mokdad, A. H., Ballestros, K., Echko, M., Glenn, S., Olsen, H. E., ... & Jonas, J. B. (2018). The state of US health, 1990-2016: Burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors among US states. JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association, 319(14), 1444-1472.

Richardson, L., Laing, A., Choi, J., Nosova, E., Milloy, M. J., Marshall, B. D., ... & Kerr, T. (2021). Effect of alternative income assistance schedules on drug use and drug-related harm: A randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Public Health, 6(5), e324-e334.

Saitz, R., Palfai, T. P., Cheng, D. M., Alford, D. P., Bernstein, J. A., Lloyd-Travaglini, C. A., ... & Samet, J. H. (2014). Screening and brief intervention for drug use in primary care: The ASPIRE randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 312(5), 502-513.