Are Training and Experience Adapting Evidence-Based Interventions Associated With Self-Efficacy and Attitudes? A Cross-Sectional Survey of Students and Practitioners With Varying Levels of Adaptation Experience

Abstract

Increasing use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in local settings will help reduce the research-practice gap and improve health equity. Because adaptation to new settings and populations is essential to effective EBI use, frameworks to guide practice are receiving more attention; most, however, only provide broad guidelines without instructions for making adaptations in practice. Therefore, practitioners may need additional training or technical assistance (TA) to implement and adapt EBIs. This study explores whether practitioners’ and students’ general EBI training or TA and level of adaptation experience are associated with self-efficacy in adapting EBIs and with attitudes toward EBI use. We analyzed baseline survey data of participants in an evaluation of IM-Adapt Online, a newly developed decision support tool. We asked about previous training on EBIs, general and specific adaptation behaviors, and attitudes toward EBIs and found an association between previous training or TA in using EBIs with higher self-efficacy for using and adapting EBIs. Respondents with prior EBI training were significantly more likely to have higher self-efficacy in EBI behaviors across subdomains and in total than those without training. Respondents reported lowest self-efficacy for planning adaptations (M = 3.35) and assessing fit of EBIs to their local context (M = 3.41). This study suggests the importance of EBI adaptation training and TA to increase adoption and adaptation of EBIs, subsequently. More adaptation-specific training is warranted to assist students, practitioners, and researchers undertaking the adaptation process and implement EBIs. Future training on EBI adaptation can help practitioners tailor EBIs to meet the specific needs of their populations.