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BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Although scientific knowledge on evidence-based practices (EBPs) for substance use disorders (SUD) continues to grow, little is known about the extent to which VA providers utilize these practices. In part, this is a measurement issue; currently, no instrument and feasible survey process exist to determine the degree to which individual VA SUD providers utilize empirically-based and non-empirically based practices. Thus, developing accurate and feasible means to characterize current provider practices is a necessary first step toward gathering broad survey data to inform and improve VA efforts to implement evidence-based treatment practices and de-implement ineffective practices.
OBJECTIVE(S):
This project will develop a survey instrument to assess current treatment practices of VA SUD treatment providers and the means by which providers encounter and adopt new practices. The web-based survey instrument will gather non-identifying information about practitioners, clinical practices, influences on current practices, and previous adoption experiences. The specific objectives are:
1. To develop a survey instrument to assess clinical and adoption practices.
2. To evaluate the survey's performance by delivering it to SUD outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment staff in VISN 21 using a web-based survey approach.
METHODS:
The project involves two phases. First, we will develop an SUD Provider Practices Survey (PPS-SUD). Second, we will conduct a web-based survey of SUD specialty treatment providers within VISN 21 in order to gather preliminary data on the measure. During Phase 1, we will adapt and expand the Psychotherapy Practices Survey (PPS) for use with VA SUD specialty providers. The PPS was developed as part of an NIMH K01 Career Development Award on the Dissemination and Implementation of Empirically-Supported Psychotherapies to Dr. Cook in collaboration with Drs. A. Thomas McLellan and James Coyne. The VA PPS-SUD will include content domains for both empirically and non-empirically based SUD practice categories. These domains will be consistent with the categories established by the National Quality Forum working group and VA guidelines. Assessment of specific empirically-supported practices will be based on treatment integrity measures designed for these treatments. Adoption practice items will be taken from the practice influence subscales of the PPS. We will extend these subscales to assess which EBP (if any) was most recently acquired, why practitioners started thinking about their practices, and what helped them accomplish this change. We will include reverse-coded items in the form of proscribed or non-empirically-based practices, as well as a small number of validity items designed to detect response sets (e.g., acquiescent response sets will be assessed by items to which no one would be expected to answer yes). All items will avoid jargon and we will elicit feedback from clinicians on item clarity and meaning. Dr. Moos will provide expert consultation on test construction and validation.
FINDINGS/RESULTS:
No results at this time.
IMPACT:
IMPACT: The project will develop a survey to assess the current state of EBP implementation among SUD outpatient providers, and conduct a small-scale multi-site evaluation of the measure. This measure will provide needed information for a planned system-wide survey that, in turn, will provide information on gaps in implementation and on actionable ways to rectify these deficits.
PUBLICATIONS:
None at this time.
DRA:
Health Services and Systems, Substance Abuse, Addictive Disorders
DRE:
Quality of Care
Keywords:
Practice patterns
MeSH Terms:
none
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