Fidelity Assessment of a Social Work-Led Intervention Among Patients with Firearm Injuries

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Public Health
• Trauma-Informed Care

Background:

• Firearm injuries present complex challenges requiring specialized interventions.
• Social work-led programs are crucial for addressing the multifaceted needs of patients with firearm injuries.
• Ensuring the consistent and effective delivery of these interventions is vital for patient recovery and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation fidelity of a social work-led intervention for patients with firearm injuries.
• To demonstrate the utility of fidelity assessments in refining intervention delivery within an ongoing clinical trial.
• To inform the future development and optimization of social work interventions in trauma care.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was utilized to deliver a social work-led intervention.
• A comprehensive fidelity assessment was conducted to measure adherence to the intervention protocol.
• Data were collected and analyzed to identify areas of high and low implementation fidelity.

Main Results:

• The social work intervention demonstrated strong overall implementation, achieving 70% of fidelity assessment criteria.
• Lower fidelity was observed in specific client-based components of the intervention.
• These findings indicated a need for targeted adjustments to enhance intervention delivery.

Conclusions:

• Fidelity assessment findings directly informed the refinement of intervention delivery strategies.
• Monthly case reviews for all patients, not just those in crisis, were implemented to improve fidelity.
• This study underscores the importance of ongoing fidelity monitoring in clinical trials for optimizing interventions for firearm injury patients.