Conducting trials in community settings: the provider perspective.

Area of Science:

• Addiction treatment research
• Translational science in behavioral health
• Community-based participatory research

Background:

• Efforts to translate research into practice often focus on providers and their treatment programs.
• Effective partnerships involve providers actively in developing and evaluating links between practice and research.
• This article details experiences from a multisite methamphetamine treatment trial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate knowledge on transferring a comprehensive treatment protocol (Matrix model) to community drug treatment systems.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Matrix model compared to usual care.
• To describe factors fostering or hindering research-to-practice partnerships.

Main Methods:

• A multisite trial funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
• Implementation of the 16-week Matrix model, combining behavioral, educational, and 12-Step counseling.
• Comparison of outcomes between the Matrix program and usual treatment at eight participating sites.

Main Results:

• The article describes factors influencing the development of research-to-practice partnerships across three temporal phases.
• Factors can impact the relationship prior to its establishment, at its initiation, and during ongoing collaboration.
• Specific details on fostering and hindering factors are discussed in relation to the trial.

Conclusions:

• Successful transfer of research into practice requires active provider involvement and strong partnerships.
• Understanding the temporal dynamics of collaboration is crucial for effective implementation.
• The study provides insights into building and maintaining productive relationships between researchers and treatment providers.