Table 4.
Characteristics of patient study population attending intervention and control practices at baseline
| Characteristic/Category | Intervention (n = 34) | Control (n = 47) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | Mean (SD) | n (%) | Mean (SD) | |
| Male | 20 (58.8 %) | 30 (63.8 %) | ||
| Age | 41.5 (7.9) | 42.4 (8.8) | ||
| Ever injected drugs | 23 (67.6 %) | 38 (80.9 %) | ||
| Age of first injection | 21.3 (3.4) | 21.8(6.3) | ||
| Hepatitis C positive | 20 (58.8 %) | 29 (61.7 %) | ||
| Receiving methadone | 33 (97.1 %) | 47 (100 %) | ||
| Age first methadone use | 25.6 (8.3) | 25.8 (7.9) | ||
| Mean methadone dose | 82.2 (22.7) | 65.2 (28.6) | ||
| Attends Level 1 GP | 15 (44.1 %) | 26 (55.3 %) | ||
| Attends Level 2 GP | 19 (55.9 %) | 21 (44.7 %) | ||
| Geographical area of GP: | ||||
| East | 30 (88.2 %) | 43 (91.5 %) | ||
| West | 4 (11.8 %) | 4 (8.5 %) | ||
| Employed | 6 (17.6 %) | 2 (4.3 %) | ||
| Current accommodation: | ||||
| Rented | 9 (26.5 %) | 16 (34 %) | ||
| Owned | 4 (11.8 %) | 4 (8.5 %) | ||
| Family of origin | 3 (8.8 %) | 8 (17 %) | ||
| Social housing | 15 (44.1 %) | 17 (36.2 %) | ||
| Supported housing | 2 (5.9 %) | 2 (4.3 %) | ||
| No Fixed abode | 1 (2.9 %) | 0 (0 %) | ||
| Past 30-day drug use (self-reported)a | ||||
| Number of patients who used illicit drugs in the last 30 daysb | 14 (41.2 %) | 17 (36.2 %) | ||
| Alcohol screening* Q: Have you ever been asked about your alcohol use by healthcare professionals? |
19 (55.9 %) | 31 (66 %) | ||
| Alcohol brief intervention** Q: Did they advise you on safe drinking or talk to you about alcohol? |
14 (41.2 %) | 23 (48.9 %) | ||
| Specialist referral*** Q: Have you ever been referred to a specialist/ addiction counsellor for alcohol use? |
7 (20.6 %) | 7 (14.9 %) | ||
aData obtained from baseline patient questionnaires with data referring to the previous 30 days
bHeroin, illicit methadone, illicit benzodiazepines, cocaine, amphetamines, cannabis, other drugs
* ICC (SE) = 0.016 (0.014)
** ICC (SE) = –0.06 (0.017)
*** ICC (SE) = 0.22 (0.026)