HCRC Teaching Guide for Health Care Providers: Improving Hepatitis C Care, Reducing Alcohol Use With Brief Intervention

This Teaching Guide can help health professionals learn ways to discuss alcohol use with patients who have hepatitis C. There is an enclosed motivational counseling card, which is one of many tools that can be used to help patients with hepatitis C reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Because hepatitis C infection is associated with worse liver disease outcomes among drinkers, diagnosis of hepatitis C infection and monitoring of liver function provide “teachable moments” for brief, effective interventions to motivate patients to cut back or eliminate alcohol use. The HCRC Brief Intervention for Alcohol Use Reduction and Hepatitis C Toolkit includes the following resources: (1) Motivational Counseling Card with provider scripts; (2) HCRC Teaching Guide for Health Care Providers; (3) Patient Education Brochure “Hepatitis C and Alcohol;” (4) Drinking Diary Card and Change Plan Template (wallet card); and (5) “Motivation” DVD: Behavior Change Counseling in Chronic Care from the University of Washington GHC, "Take Care to Learn," 2003.