Development of a checklist to assess the quality of reporting of knowledge translation interventions using the Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research (WIDER) recommendations

Abstract

BackgroundInfluenced by an important paper by Michie et al., outlining the rationale and requirements for detailed reporting of behavior change interventions now required by Implementation Science, we created and refined a checklist to operationalize the Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research (WIDER) recommendations in systematic reviews. The WIDER recommendations provide a framework to identify and provide detailed reporting of the essential components of behavior change interventions in order to facilitate replication, further development, and scale-up of the interventions.FindingsThe checklist was developed, applied, and improved over the course of four systematic reviews of knowledge translation (KT) strategies in a variety of healthcare settings conducted by Scott and associates. The checklist was created as one method of operationalizing the work of the WIDER in order to facilitate comparison across heterogeneous studies included in these systematic reviews. Numerous challenges were encountered in the process of creating and applying the checklist across four stages of development. The resulting improvements have produced a ‘user-friendly’ and replicable checklist to assess the quality of reporting of KT interventions in systematic reviews using the WIDER recommendations.ConclusionsWith journals, such as Implementation Science, using the WIDER recommendations as publication requirements for evaluation reports of behavior change intervention studies, it is crucial to find methods of examining, measuring, and reporting the quality of reporting. This checklist is one approach to operationalize the WIDER recommendations in systematic review methodology.

Behaviour change techniques: the development and evaluation of a taxonomic method for reporting and describing behaviour change interventions (a suite of five studies involving consensus methods, randomised controlled trials and analysis of qualitative data)

“…5 The Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research group has had some success in encouraging journal editors to ensure that transparent and accessible intervention descriptions are available before publication of intervention outcomes. 15 The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) 16 provides a checklist of the minimum data required to report interventions, including surgical, pharmacological, psychotherapeutic as well as behavioural interventions. Although progress has been made in improving how intervention content is reported, if descriptions of BCIs are to be communicated effectively and successfully replicated, a shared and standardised method of classifying intervention content is needed.…”

“…177 The importance of scientific journals ensuring that intervention content is well specified for replication and implementation has been recognised across the research community. 15 At least two journals have editorial policies stating that trials of interventions will only be published if the interventions are described in sufficient detail for replication and implementation, citing BCT methodology as an example. 10,178 Guidance by funding bodies would also support the adoption of BCT methodology for specifying and reporting BCIs.…”

Reliability of Identification of Behavior Change Techniques in Intervention Descriptions

“…Twenty-five BCTs were identified in between 6 and 15 intervention descriptions ("occasionally" identified), 33 BCTs were identified in 1-5 descriptions ("rarely" identified) and 13 were not identified in any description at time 1, although two of these were identified by coders at time 2. 13 …”

“…CONSORT guidelines specify that evaluators should report, "precise details of interventions [as]… actually administered" and extension guidance has been provided (9,10). The Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research (WIDER) group agreed four key recommendations regarding reporting of intervention content (11,12,13) and this group have been influential in encouraging journal editors to ensure that transparent and accessible intervention descriptions are available before publication of intervention outcomes (6). Other authors have also specified minimum information required for reporting of BCIs and TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) provides an international interdisciplinary consensus checklist with illustrative examples to enable improved reporting of BCIs (10,14).…”

Identification of Implementation Strategies Used for the Circle of Security-Virginia Family Model Intervention: Concept Mapping Study (Preprint)

“…Using interventions that aim to change health provider behavior can be an effective way of improving health outcomes and reducing health costs [2]. At the same time, one of the most consistent findings from research on health and clinical services, is t[he failure to implement theory and research into practice and policy [3] and sustain the use of interventions and their effects in practice [4].…”