Encouraging general practitioners to take up screening and early intervention for problem use of alcohol: a marketing trial

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore the result and cost of marketing techniques designed to encourage general practitioners to receive an early intervention and screening package for problem use of alcohol. A randomized controlled trial of marketing to 369 New Zealand general practitioners is described. The marketing techniques compared were direct mail, telemarketing and personal marketing. Each marketing strategy had a common promotional content. The screening and early intervention procedure marketed in each strategy was the ‘Drinkless’ package developed with the World Health Organization collaborative study for early intervention for at risk alcohol consumption. The package uses the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The major outcome was Drinkless package uptake defined as agreement to receive the package. The cost of each marketing technique was estimated. General practitioners approached using telemarketing or personal marketing are over 23% more likely to take up the package than those approached by mail. There was no significant difference between the uptake rates for telemarketing (74%) and personal marketing (81%). Estimating the marginal cost per doctor agreeing to receive the Drinkless package showed telemarketing to cost approximately $3.97 per doctor compared to $10.00 for direct mail and $20.36 for personal marketing. Telemarketing is the most cost‐effective marketing strategy to encourage general practitioners to receive a screening and early intervention package for problem use of alcohol.