JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Improved interventions are needed to reduce the rate of driving while intoxicated (DWI). Responsible beverage service (RBS) training has been effective at reducing service to intoxicated patrons in licensed premises in some cases. Its efficacy might be improved by increasing the proper application and continued use of RBS with an intervention that supports RBS techniques in the three to five years between required RBS retraining.

Objective:

The purpose is to develop and evaluate a follow-on professional development component for an RBS training that aims to improve the effectiveness of the online training.

Methods:

In a two-phase project, we are creating a professional development component for alcohol servers after completing online RBS training. The first phase involved formative research on the components’ feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews with owners and managers of licensed establishments and focus groups and a survey with alcohol servers in New Mexico and Washington state examined support for RBS and need for ongoing professional development to support RBS. A prototype of a professional development component was produced to be delivered in social media posts on advanced RBS skills, support from experienced servers, professionalism, and basic management training. The prototype was evaluated in a usability survey and a field pilot study with alcohol servers in California, New Mexico, and Washington state. The second phase of the project will include full production of the professional development component. It will be delivered in Facebook private groups over 12-months and evaluated with a sample of licensed premises (i.e., bars and restaurants) in California, New Mexico, and Washington state (n=180 total) in a two-group randomized field trial (WayToServe training only v. WayToServe training and WayToServe Plus). Licensed establishments will be assessed for refusal of sales to apparently intoxicated pseudo-patrons at baseline and 12-months after the intervention commences.

Results:

While owners and managers (n=10) and alcohol servers (n=43) were favorable toward RBS in their establishments, they endorsed the need for ongoing support for RBS for servers and identified topics of interest. A prototype with 50 posts was successfully created. Servers felt it was highly usable and appropriate for themselves and the premises in the usability survey (n=20) and field pilot test (n=110), with 60% and 78%, respectively, saying they would use it. Servers receiving the professional development component had higher self-efficacy (Cohen’s d=0.30) and response efficacy (Cohen’s d=0.38) for RBS compared to untreated controls.

Conclusions:

Owners, managers, and servers believed that an ongoing professional development component on RBS would benefit servers and licensed premises. Servers were interested in using such program, a large majority engaged with the prototype, and servers receiving it improved on theoretic mediators of RBS. Thus, the professional development component should improve an RBS intervention. Clinical Trial: NCT05146024 and NCT05779774