Petersen Williams, Petal orcid.org/0000-0001-5535-2458, Prinsloo, Megan, Peden, Margaret M et al. (5 more authors) (2024) Identifying and Validating Alcohol Diagnostics for Injury-Related Trauma in South Africa:Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Research Protocols. e52949. ISSN 1929-0748
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The burden of alcohol use among patients with trauma and the relative injury risks is not routinely measured in South Africa. Given the prominent burden of alcohol on hospital trauma departments, South Africa needs practical, cost-effective, and accurate alcohol diagnostic tools for testing, surveillance, and clinical management of patients with trauma. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to validate alcohol diagnostics for injury-related trauma and assess its use for improving national health practice and policy. METHODS: The Alcohol Diagnostic Validation for Injury-Related Trauma study will use mixed methods across 3 work packages. Five web-based focus group discussions will be conducted with 6 to 8 key stakeholders, each across 4 areas of expertise (clinical, academic, policy, and operational) to determine the type of alcohol information that will be useful for different stakeholders in the injury prevention and health care sectors. We will then conduct a small pilot study followed by a validation study of alcohol diagnostic tools (clinical assessment, breath analysis, and fingerprick blood) against enzyme immunoassay blood concentration analysis in a tertiary hospital trauma setting with 1000 patients. Finally, selected alcohol diagnostic tools will be tested in a district hospital setting with a further 1000 patients alongside community-based participatory research on the use of the selected tools. RESULTS: Pilot data are being collected, and the protocol will be modified based on the results. CONCLUSIONS: Through this project, we hope to identify and validate the most appropriate methods of diagnosing alcohol-related injury and violence in a clinical setting. The findings from this study are likely to be highly relevant and could influence our primary beneficiaries-policy makers and senior health clinicians-to adopt new practices and policies around alcohol testing in injured patients. The findings will be disseminated to relevant national and provincial government departments, policy experts, and clinicians. Additionally, we will engage in media advocacy and with our stakeholders, including community representatives, work through several nonprofit partners to reach civil society organizations and share findings. In addition, we will publish findings in scientific journals. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/52949.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | ©Petal Petersen Williams, Megan Prinsloo, Margaret M Peden, Ian Neethling, Shibe Mhlongo, Sithombo Maqungo, Charles Parry, Richard Matzopoulos. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 11.03.2024. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Health Sciences (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 14 Mar 2025 14:20 |
Last Modified: | 15 Mar 2025 00:13 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.2196/52949 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.2196/52949 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:224474 |
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Filename: resprot-2024-1-e52949.pdf
Description: Identifying and Validating Alcohol Diagnostics for Injury-Related Trauma in South Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study
Licence: CC-BY 2.5