Living well, taking control: Fidelity of implementation study

Kok, Michele

Abstract

Background
Living Well, Taking Control (LWTC) is a community-based diabetes prevention and management programme. The core component involves a group-based education intervention that delivers a series of structured sessions to promote sustainable healthy lifestyle changes for people with Impaired Glucose Regulation (also known as ‘pre-diabetes’ or non-diabetic hyperglycaemia) and those newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). LWTC is a programme developed by two third sector agencies: Health Exchange based in Birmingham and Westbank Community Health Care based in Exminster, Devon.

The current Fidelity of Implementation (FoI) study is part of a wider process evaluation of LWTC to determine the degree to which the intervention is delivered as intended, and is critical to successful translation of evidence-based interventions into practice.

Research Aim
The aim of this study is to assess the fidelity of implementation of the LWTC programme, with a focus on facilitator adherence and competence.

Methods
Fidelity of implementation was primarily assessed using a checklist to analyse audio recordings of all group sessions conducted by Westbank from 20th January to 5th March 2015.

Findings
The overall level of implementation score was 78.2% for adherence to intervention protocol, and 88.7% for competence in intervention delivery. The ‘pre-diabetes’ groups scored higher than the diabetes groups in all sessions, with regards to adherence. Facilitator competence was supported by high participant satisfaction ratings.

Conclusion
The LWTC programme facilitators displayed a satisfactory level of adherence to the protocol and a high level of competence in delivery. The level of fidelity established for the LWTC group-based education intervention is considered to be appropriate, and expected to provide some confidence to the interpretation of intervention outcomes and effectiveness.

• Report Type: Project Report
• Acceptance Date: Jun 19, 2015
• Publication Date: Jun 19, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 10, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 31, 2017
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• ISBN: 9781860435324
• Keywords: diabetes, community-based, voluntary sector, adherence, competence
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/832632
• Contract Date: Feb 10, 2016