Drummond 1990.

Methods	Randomised controlled trial of consultation liaison compared to standard care.
Participants	Consumers (n = 40): problem drinkers attending an alcohol clinic in the UK. The mean age was 39 years and 75% were male. Based on the General Health Questionnaire 45% were considered severe cases. Excluded: not stated. Primary care providers: GPs of consumers attending the clinic. Mental health specialists (n = 4): alcohol addiction specialists including three psychiatrists and one clinical nurse specialist. Setting: GP practices in the UK.
Interventions	1. Consultation Liaison (n = 20) Mental health specialist/consumer: all consumers received a full psychiatric and physical assessment, counselled and given advice about their drinking problem and returned to their GP with assurances that the specialist would remain in contact with their GP. Mental health specialist/primary care provider: specialists visited the GP to discuss management of the consumer and provided a booklet of guidelines on the management of alcohol problems. The mental health specialist offered further advice and support to the GP, initiated further contact by phone to check on progress or difficulties, and provided a contact phone number. Primary care provider/consumer: interaction not reported. 2. Standard care (n = 20) Mental health specialist/consumer: people in the standard care group also received a full psychiatric and physical assessment, and counselling and advice about their drinking problem (as with the intervention group). They continued to receive routine outpatient clinic care through the alcohol clinic and, if necessary, admission to hospital.
Outcomes	1. Consumer Symptoms: Alcohol Problems Questionnaire (APQ, 23 items) at six months. General Health: General Health Questionnaire at six months. Adherence: complete abstinence over six months. Healthcare visits: attended GP during six months. 2. Provider No provider outcomes were reported.
Notes
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Randomised by consumer, stratified on two‐level measure of dependence.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not reported.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Follow‐up conducted by 'research workers who were not blinded' but responses were self‐reported; however, as the interaction between consumers and specialists was similar it is unlikely whether participants knew they were in an active or standard care group.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	Data were reported for those available at follow‐up, loss to follow‐up 8%.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	The reported APQ score was derived from 23 items 'applicable to all subjects' rather than all 46 items.
Other bias	Unclear risk	There were differences between groups in age, time in present accommodation and time till follow‐up.