University of Alberta researchers want teens who end up in the emergency room because of their drinking to think twice about alcohol’s effects.
Assistant professors Dr. Kathryn Dong and Dr. Amanda Newton are piloting a study into reasons and amounts teenagers drink, by way of an iPad survey the day after an ER visit.
“Teens will drink but not all teens end up in the emergency department because of a consequence related to drinking,” said Newton.
She said one objective is to test if teens trust an iPad over a parent, doctor or nurse.
The project is a joint effort of pediatrics and emergency medicine departments in the U of A’s faculty of medicine and dentistry. In addition to the Stollery Children’s Hospital’s ER, teens are being polled after emergency visits in Halifax and Calgary.
After answering 13 questions, teens learn how their frequency and number of drinks consumed compares to peers, and consequences.
“The pilot study isn’t meant to evaluate whether it works or not, it’s meant to give us some answers so that we can design an actual study that will help us figure out if it works or not,” said Newton.
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