Effectiveness of a Multi-Level Implementation Strategy for ASD Interventions

Overview of Collaborative R01. The investigators propose to conduct two, coordinated studies testing the impact of the "Translating Evidence-based Interventions for ASD: A Multi-Level Implementation Strategy" (TEAMS). TEAMS focuses on improving implementation leadership, organizational climate (Teams Leadership Institute; TLI), and provider attitudes and engagement (TEAMS Individualized Provider Strategy for Training; TIPS) in order to improve two key implementation outcomes - ASD evidence-based intervention (EBI) fidelity, and subsequent child outcomes. The TLI module applies the LOCI ("Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation") strategies, and the TIPS module applies MI (Motivational Interviewing) strategies to facilitate individual leader and provider level behavior change. These studies will use a randomized Hybrid implementation/effectiveness, Type 3, trial. Study #1 (PI: L Brookman-Frazee/UCSD) will test the TEAMS model with An Individualized Mental Health Intervention for ASD (AIM HI) in publicly-funded mental health services. Study #2 (PI: A Stahmer/UC Davis) will test TEAMS with Classroom Pivotal Response Teaching (CPRT) in school settings.

The Collaborative R01 mechanism will advance implementation science by allowing the research team to: 1) obtain a sufficient sample size to isolate the impact of individual and combined modules targeting different change mechanisms (implementation leadership/climate, attitudes); examine change mechanisms as mediators of outcomes; and provider background and organizational structure as moderators of outcomes; 2) enhance generalizability by testing TEAMS in combination with two clinical EBI in two public service systems critical for children with ASD; and maximize the diversity of the target population. Each site has unique expertise in one of the two EBI to be tested. The PIs have a strong history of collaboration and a clear management plan.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children have ASD. Long term outcomes for this populations are poor and the annual cost in the US is estimated to be $268 billion. Research on the effectiveness of methods to scale up EBI in routine care is critical to meet this growing public health need. The efficacy of a growing number of ASD EBI has been established. Emerging data from AIM HI and CPRT studies support the overall effectiveness of ASD EBI for improving child outcomes only when providers complete training and deliver interventions with fidelity. Unfortunately, adoption and provider training outcomes, considered key implementation outcomes, are variable (e.g., up to 35% of providers in our studies either do not complete training or have poor fidelity). These findings are especially concerning given the link between fidelity and child outcomes and the rapid increase of large-scale usual care implementation of EBI with little attention to training completion or fidelity, even with well-established training and consultation methods. Therefore, testing methods of improving implementation outcomes is key to ensuring positive child-level outcomes when EBI are implemented in routine care.

AIM HI and CPRT data indicate that (1) implementation leadership/climate and (2) provider attitudes towards EBI are promising targets of implementation interventions. The roles of both factors have been indicated for broader patient populations and also in current AIM HI and CPRT projects. As such, the project will apply two, established interventions (LOCI, MI) in the TEAMS model to target these specific mechanisms of change. This study will test the impact of combining standard, EBI-specific training with the two TEAMS modules individually and together on multiple implementation outcomes. A dismantling design will be used to understand the effectiveness of TEAMS and the mechanisms of change across settings and participants. The specific aims and hypotheses are:

1. Test the effectiveness of the TEAMS modules individually and in combination on implementation outcomes when paired with two ASD EBI.