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Fidelity-consistency and deliberateness of modifications in parenting programs
Mälardalen University, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Health and Welfare.
Mälardalen University, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Health and Welfare.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5967-0795
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Procome Research Group, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, SE, Stockholm, Sweden.
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2024 (English)In: Implementation Science Communications, E-ISSN 2662-2211, Vol. 5, no 1, article id 13Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are frequently modified in practice. It is recommended that decisions to modify EBIs should be made deliberately to ensure fidelity-consistency, yet the relationship between fidelity-consistency and deliberateness is not well understood. This study aims to explore modifications in a sample of practitioners delivering evidence-based parenting programs (i.e., interventions to strengthen parent–child relationships, reduce harmful interactions, and improve child health and well-being). The study investigated three research questions: (1) What kind of modifications are made during the delivery of parenting programs? (2) To what degree are the identified modifications consistent with the core functions of each program? and (3) Is deliberateness associated with the fidelity-consistency of the identified modifications? Methods: In total, 28 group leaders of five widely disseminated parenting programs in Sweden participated in five focus groups, and two participants from each group also participated in individual interviews (n = 10). A content analysis approach was used where the identification of modifications was directed by the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) and then assessed for fidelity-consistency and four levels of deliberateness (universal, situational, conditional, and unintentional). Chi-square tests were performed to compare consistent and inconsistent modifications, and logistic regression was performed to explore whether deliberateness predicted consistency. Results: A total of 137 content modifications were identified, covering most of the content modification categories in FRAME. The most common were tailoring/tweaking/refining, adding elements, shortening/condensing, lengthening/extending, and integrating another treatment. Modifications were mostly fidelity-consistent but consistency varied greatly among categories. Furthermore, modifications made unintentionally or situationally were more likely to be fidelity-inconsistent. Conclusions: These results indicate that explicit consideration of modifications and their impact could be essential for sustaining the fidelity-consistent use of EBIs, even as such interventions are continuously modified.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
BioMed Central Ltd , 2024. Vol. 5, no 1, article id 13
Keywords [en]
Adaptation, Core components, Core functions, Fidelity, Implementation, Modification, Parenting programs
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-66155DOI: 10.1186/s43058-024-00545-4Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85185254406OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-66155DiVA, id: diva2:1841230
Available from: 2024-02-28 Created: 2024-02-28 Last updated: 2024-11-26Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Navigating fidelity-adaptation dilemmas during the application of evidence-based interventions
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Navigating fidelity-adaptation dilemmas during the application of evidence-based interventions
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Modern health and welfare services are increasingly characterized by standardized methods and growing demands for services to be grounded in scientific findings. At the same time, professionals are expected to exercise judgment to meet individual needs. This thesis explores how this tension manifests in the way that professionals navigate fidelity–adaptation dilemmas while providing parenting programs in community settings in Sweden. 

Through a combination of qualitative interviews and a discrete choice experiment, this thesis examines (1) the circumstances that trigger adaptations, (2) the nature and consistency of modifications made to programs, and (3) how professionals weigh different outcomes when making adaptation decisions. 

The findings demonstrate that fidelity–adaptation decisions are pervasive and dynamic, occurring even in well-implemented programs. Study I identifies 11 distinct reasons facilitators recognize for making adaptations. Study II reveals that practitioners’ capacity to make thoughtful adjustments while maintaining program integrity varies considerably. Study III illuminates the breadth of outcomes valued by providers and recipients, highlighting the complex multi-goal context of program delivery. Study IV quantifies how professionals prioritize these different outcomes and finds that relationship quality most strongly influences adaptation decisions.

The findings demonstrate that fidelity–adaptation decisions are pervasive and dynamic, occurring even in well-implemented programs. These decisions reflect the complex interplay between practitioners’ professional judgment, working conditions, and organizational demands. This thesis shows how practitioners actively negotiate competing professional demands in their daily work, demonstrates how organizational contexts and governance structures shape professional discretion, and highlights the importance of creating supportive work environments that enable practitioners to make informed decisions while managing multiple organizational goals. These insights suggest that sustainable implementation requires approaches that recognize and support practitioners’ professional agency while acknowledging the complex organizational realities in which they operate.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Västerås: Mälardalens universitet, 2025
Series
Mälardalen University Press Dissertations, ISSN 1651-4238 ; 424
Keywords
fidelity-adaptation; implementation; evidence-based interven-tions; parenting programs; applied decision-making; discrete choice experi-ment
National Category
Health Sciences
Research subject
Working Life Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-69191 (URN)978-91-7485-692-7 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-01-31, Beta och digitalt via Zoom, Mälardalens universitet, Västerås, 13:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2024-11-26 Created: 2024-11-26 Last updated: 2025-01-10Bibliographically approved

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Pettersson, KristofferLiedgren, Pernillavon Thiele Schwarz, Ulrica

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