Measuring Adherence to Key Teaching Techniques in an Evidence-Based Treatment: A Comparison of Caregiver, Therapist, and Behavior Observation Ratings. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Herschell, Amy D.; Quetsch, Lauren B.; Kolko, David J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of emotional and behavioral disorders. Volume 28:Number 2(2020:Jun.)
• Page Start: 92
• Page End: 103
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: treatment adherence -- rater agreement -- evidence-based treatment -- Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Emotional problems of children -- Periodicals; Behavior disorders in children -- Periodicals; Problem children -- Periodicals; Problem youth -- Periodicals; Adjustment disorders in children -- Periodicals; Child psychopathology -- Periodicals; 618.9289005
• DOI: 10.1177/1063426618821901
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1063-4266

Abstract

Traditionally, treatment adherence has been measured in outcome studies by highly trained, independent raters who code audio- or video-taped treatment sessions to understand therapists' adherence to preestablished treatment session components. Unfortunately, this method of assessing treatment adherence is time-, labor-, and cost-intensive, and does not translate well to community settings. This study compared expert-coded behavior observations, therapist and caregiver report of therapists' adherence to nine teaching technique items assessed in treatment sessions using Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) to determine whether other raters (outside of traditional expert coders) could effectively and accurately measure therapist adherence. A total of 533 therapy sessions were coded across experts ( n = 2), therapists ( n = 20), and caregivers ( n = 42). Outcomes indicated strikingly different ratings across all reporters suggesting that therapist and caregiver reports may be supplement to, but not substitute for, observer ratings.