Measuring the intervention in effectiveness research

West J Nurs Res. 1998 Oct;20(5):621-35. doi: 10.1177/019394599802000508.

Abstract

Inconsistent implementation of the intervention in the field setting presents a threat to the validity of the conclusions of an effectiveness study. Inconsistent implementation results in variability in the actual dosage of the intervention received by the participants, which leads to variability in outcomes achievement and, consequently, to Type II error. This article discusses the methodological implications of inconsistent intervention implementation and advances a strategy as a solution to this problem. The strategy proposes to quantify the dosage of the intervention as a continuous variable and to use this variable in the statistical analysis. The benefits of this strategy are illustrated with an empirical example from the Self-Help Intervention Project.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / psychology
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Clinical Nursing Research / methods
  • Clinical Nursing Research / standards*
  • Clinical Nursing Research / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care* / methods
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care* / standards
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care* / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Education as Topic
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / standards
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Research Design
  • United States