Exploring the Impact of External Facilitation Using Evidence-Based Implementation Strategies for Increasing...

Area of Science:

• Addiction treatment
• Implementation science
• Healthcare quality improvement

Background:

• Most individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) do not receive evidence-based care.
• Limited scale-up of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is attributed to weak dissemination systems.
• Effective implementation strategies are crucial for improving SUD treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an intensive technical assistance initiative on the implementation of motivational interviewing (MI) for SUD treatment.
• To assess staff engagement and improvements in MI delivery among outpatient SUD providers.
• To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of externally facilitated training and technical assistance (TTA).

Main Methods:

• The study examined the Training and Practice Implementation Institute (TPII), an intensive TTA initiative.
• Outpatient SUD treatment providers received external facilitation and multiple EBPs for MI enhancement.
• Staff engagement and MI component delivery were tracked over a 9-month period.

Main Results:

• Staff completed 86% of required TTA activities, indicating high engagement and feasibility.
• Statistically significant improvements were observed in the technical components of MI delivery.
• No corresponding improvements were found in the relational components of MI delivery.

Conclusions:

• Intensive, externally facilitated TTA is a feasible strategy for enhancing EBP implementation in SUD treatment.
• Targeted TTA can improve specific clinical skills, such as the technical aspects of MI.
• Understanding the return on investment of TA can guide resource allocation for improved SUD service quality.