Study of a Learning Collaborative to Implement Health Promotion in Mental Health

Summary

Healthcare organizations have increasingly formed quality-improvement Learning Collaboratives to improve care for specific populations; however, there are few data on the effectiveness of this strategy compared to conventional training approaches. The primary aim of this cluster randomized implementation trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual learning collaborative (VLC) in the implementation of a lifestyle intervention for persons with serious mental illness (SMI) in routine mental health settings, compared to typical implementation consisting of site training and one-on-one individual technical assistance (TA). The investigators hypothesize that VLC compared to TA will be associated with greater Program Participation, Program Fidelity, and a greater proportion of participants achieving clinically significant weight loss.

Conditions

• Health Promotion
• Obesity
• Organizational Innovation
• Mental Health Services

Interventions

OTHER

Virtual Learning Collaborative

InSHAPE teams consisting of health mentors, supervisors, and senior leaders from each mental health agency randomized to the VLC will be invited to attend an in-person initial kick-off meeting followed by once per month 90-minute VLC sessions. The VLC is organized into three stages: Prework, Action, and Continuous Improvement. VLC faculty, including interventionists with expertise in implementation science, quality improvement, and subject matter (i.e., InSHAPE) experts, will facilitate VLC sessions following a structured protocol to standardize the planning and execution of the VLC across three cohorts enrolled in the study.

OTHER

Technical Assistance

Scheduled calls will occur at 1 month, 2 months, 8 months, and 14 months following their participation in initial InSHAPE training following randomization and follow a structured protocol. At the end of each scheduled conference call, the coach will schedule the next call with the site.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

  collaborator OTHER

• Dartmouth College

  collaborator OTHER

• Massachusetts General Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Stephen Bartels, MD · Massachusetts General Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-11-26

Primary Completion

2022-01-31

Completion

2022-01-31