The reliability of the Alcohol Timeline Followback when administered by telephone and by computer

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 49 - 54
• Main Authors: Sobell, Linda C., Brown, Joanne, Leo, Gloria I., Sobell, Mark B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-09-1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol abusers; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcoholism - epidemiology; Alcoholism - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Comparison; Computers; Drinking reliability; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Male; Measures; Medical sciences; Microcomputers; Middle Aged; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Sampling Studies; Self-reports; Techniques and methods; Telephone; Telephone services; Timeline Followback; Truth Disclosure; Self-reports; Drinking reliability; Alcohol abusers; Timeline Followback; Human; Consumption; Clinical test; Alcoholic beverage; Telephone; Alcoholism; Adult; Psychometrics; Daily dose; Test reliability; Computer aid; Test administration
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(96)01263-X

The Alcohol Timeline Followback (TLFB) has been shown to be a psychometrically sound assessment instrument for obtaining retrospective daily estimates of alcohol consumption. These evaluations, however, have been limited to face-to-face paper-and-pencil interviews. As use of the TLFB method has increased, investigators have reported using the method to collect follow-up data by telephone. Also, as with many assessment instruments, a computerized version of the TLFB method has been developed. The psychometric characteristics of the TLFB method under these administration conditions have not been evaluated. This paper presents results from two studies showing that the Alcohol TLFB method can obtain reliable drinking data when administered over the telephone and by computer.