Pilot Evaluation of a Tablet-Based Application to Improve Quality of Care in Child Mental Health Treatment

Mental health systems need scalable solutions that can reduce the efficacy-effectiveness gap and improve mental health outcomes in community mental health service settings. Two major challenges to delivery of high-quality care are providers' fidelity to evidence-based treatment models and children's and caregivers' engagement in the treatment process. We developed a novel, tablet-based application designed to enhance via technology the quality of delivery of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). We piloted its use in four community mental health service organizations using a blocked randomized controlled trial to examine the feasibility of implementing tablet-facilitated TF-CBT versus standard TF-CBT with 13 providers and 27 families. Provider fidelity and child engagement in treatment were observationally measured via session audio recording. Parent and child perceptions of the tablet application were assessed using structured interviews and mixed-method analyses. Providers actively and appropriately used tablet TF-CBT to facilitate treatment activities. Providers and families expressed high satisfaction with its use, demonstrating acceptability of this approach. Youth and caregivers in both conditions reported high alliance with their providers. Overall, we found that tablet-facilitated treatment is accepted by providers and families and may be integrated into mental health treatment with minimal training. Further study is needed to examine the extent to which technology-based applications may enhance the reach, quality, and clinical outcomes of mental health treatment delivered to children and families.

Where is the Evidence in South African Clinical Psychology?

While a rich body of research exists to inform the practice of clinical psychology, South African mental health professionals have failed to incorporate empirical findings in their clinical work. This article argues that South African psychology has become increasingly devoid of an empirical base, to the detriment of the clients it purports to serve. A fundamental epistemological problem that faces clinical psychology is the credibility it bestows on non-falsifiable theories. As such, practitioners have been led to rely to an inordinate degree on so-called clinical intuition and experience. Yet, the application of both of these practices yields demonstrably inferior treatment outcomes when compared with actuarial methods of judgement and prediction, and empirically supported interventions. While the notion of empirically supported treatments and its emphasis on randomised controlled trials are not unproblematic, far worse is the practice of giving credibility to clinical practices based on folklore and theoretical dogma in the absence of evidence. The argument presented in this article is that if South African clinical psychology is to make itself relevant to the needs of contemporary society, it needs to abandon non-falsifiable theoretical tenets and adhere more vigorously to the criteria of evidence when dispensing clinical services.

Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Tablet-Based Application to Improve Quality of Care in Child Mental Health Treatment

Background

Children need access to high quality mental health care. Effective treatments now exist for a wide range of mental health conditions. However, these interventions are delivered with variable effectiveness in traditional mental health service settings. Innovative solutions are needed to improve treatment delivery quality and effectiveness.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop a scalable, sustainable technology-based approach to improve the quality of care in child mental health treatment.

Methods

A tablet-based resource was developed with input from mental health training experts, mental health providers, and patients. A series of qualitative data collection phases (ie, expert interviews, patient and provider focus groups, usability testing) guided the initial concept and design of the resource, and then its refinement. The result was an iPad-based “e-workbook” designed to improve child engagement and provider fidelity in implementation of a best-practice treatment. We are currently conducting a small scale randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of e-workbook facilitated child mental health treatment with 10 providers and 20 families recruited from 4 local community-based mental health clinics.

Results

Usability and focus group testing yielded a number of strong, favorable reactions from providers and families. Recommendations for refining the e-workbook also were provided, and these guided several improvements to the resource prior to initiating the feasibility trial, which is currently underway.

Conclusions

This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate a tablet-based application to improve provider fidelity and child engagement in child mental health treatment. If successful, this approach may serve as a key step toward making best-practice treatment more accessible to children and families. As various technologies continue to increase in popularity worldwide and within the health care field more specifically, it is essential to rigorously test the usability, feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of novel health technology solutions. It is also essential to ensure that patients and providers drive decision making that supports the development of these resources to ensure that they can be seamlessly integrated into practice.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01915160; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01915160 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6cPIiQDpu)

National trainers' perspectives on challenges to implementation of an empirically-supported mental health treatment

This study examined perceived challenges to implementation of an empirically supported mental health treatment for youth (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; TF-CBT) and explored the potential use of technology-based resources in treatment delivery. Thematic interviews were conducted with 19 approved national TF-CBT trainers to assess their perspectives about challenges to implementation of TF-CBT and to explore their perceptions about the potential value of innovative, technology-based solutions to enhance provider fidelity and improve quality of care. These data offer some important insights and implications for training in evidence-based treatments, provider fidelity and competence, and patient engagement, particularly for those interventions targeting trauma-related symptoms among youth.

Enhancing information pertaining to client characteristics to facilitate evidence-based practice

OBJECTIVE

Evidence-based practice (EBP) includes utilization of empirically supported treatments, application of clinical expertise, and consideration of client characteristics. The following brief report aims to elucidate barriers in the study and dissemination of research regarding these client characteristics.

DESIGN

Authors examined empirical papers cited on psychologicaltreatments.org (N = 338) and categorized each according to efficacy evidence available pertaining to gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).

RESULTS

Gender was most commonly considered (7% of studies), with less than 2% of studies analyzing efficacy in relation to race/ethnicity or SES.

CONCLUSIONS

Available findings are summarized according to disorder. Researchers are encouraged to attend to client variables in efficacy studies and suggestions are offered for training students to include client variables in EBP.

Evidence-based practices in addiction treatment: review and recommendations for public policy

The movement in recent years towards evidence-based practice (EBP) in health care systems and policy has permeated the substance abuse treatment system, leading to a growing number of federal and statewide initiatives to mandate EBP implementation. Nevertheless, due to a lack of consensus in the addiction field regarding procedures or criteria to identify EBPs, the optimal processes for disseminating empirically based interventions into real-world clinical settings have not been identified. Although working lists of interventions considered to be evidence-based have been developed by a number of constituencies advocating EBP dissemination in addiction treatment settings, the use of EBP lists to form policy-driven mandates has been controversial. This article examines the concept of EBP, critically reviews criteria used to evaluate the evidence basis of interventions, and highlights the manner in which such criteria have been applied in the addictions field. Controversies regarding EBP implementation policies and practices in addiction treatment are described, and suggestions are made to shift the focus of dissemination efforts from manualized psychosocial interventions to specific skill sets that are broadly applicable and easily learned by clinicians. Organizational and workforce barriers to EBP implementation are delineated, with corresponding recommendations to facilitate successful dissemination of evidence-based skills.

Teaching evidence-based practice: implications for psychology

A movement advocating the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) is increasingly influencing health care and the practice of psychology. Thus, teaching evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) is critical to the preparation of future health service psychologists. In this article, the authors address common myths associated with EBP, propose core components involved in teaching EBPP, and describe an example of how such training can be incorporated into a professional psychology education and training curriculum.