Demographic and clinical characteristics associated with utilization of alcohol use disorder treatment in a multicenter study of patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis

Background

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment can help improve clinical outcomes among patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis but is underutilized. Among socioeconomically disadvantaged patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis, we examined rates of lifetime and past 12-month AUD treatment utilization and associated demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods

Racial/ethnically diverse patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis who had at least one hepatology clinic visit in the prior 6 months were recruited from three Northern California medical centers serving veterans and safety-net populations. Participants self-reported their AUD treatment utilization, liver disease quality of life (LDQoL), history and current symptoms of anxiety and depression, and problematic drinking as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Clinical measures including liver disease severity were captured from medical records.

Results

Among 196 participants, the majority were male (88%) with a mean age of 62 years. Two-thirds of participants (67%) reported ever utilizing AUD treatment and 32% reported utilizing AUD treatment in the past 12 months. Compared with those who did not utilize AUD treatment, participants who utilized lifetime or past 12-month AUD treatment were younger, had lower LDQoL scores, and had higher scores on current symptoms of anxiety, depression, and problematic drinking. In multivariable analyses, the odds of ever utilizing pharmacological treatment alone or both behavioral and pharmacological treatment (vs. none) were lower with older age or higher LDQoL, and higher among those with a history of anxiety/depressive disorder. For past 12-month treatment utilization, odds were lower with older age, and higher among those with current clinically significant anxiety/depression or problematic drinking.

Conclusions

Patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis who were younger or had anxiety/depression and problematic drinking were more likely to utilize AUD treatment. To improve AUD treatment utilization, targeted outreach to patients less likely to receive care and the provision of integrated ALD and AUD treatment is warranted.