Advancing the science of adaptive interventions
When we struggle with depression, anxiety, substance use, or another health-related problem, we need healthcare professionals who treat us according to our unique circumstances and conditions. To treat us this way, healthcare professionals need protocols that help them turn information about us into decisions about when and how to intervene.
Adaptive interventions guide the delivery of the right type of treatment, in the right amount, at the right time.
We develop the tools scientists need to systematically construct adaptive interventions that respond appropriately and efficiently to people’s changing needs.
Adaptive Interventions
An adaptive intervention is an intervention design that guides the adaptation of treatments. Adaptation refers to the use of dynamic information about a person to decide whether and how to intervene. Adaptation is intended to address the unique and changing needs of individuals over time. In contrast with other types of adaptive interventions, standard adaptive interventions are typically motivated to address conditions that unfold relatively slowly. Thus, the adaptation takes place at a few decision points spaced weeks or months apart. Standard adaptive interventions typically guide the adaptation of human-delivered components.
EXAMPLE. A hypothetical adaptive intervention for ADHD in children.
The Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial
The SMART is an experimental design that researchers can use to efficiently answer multiple scientific questions concerning the selection and integration of the components that make up an adaptive intervention. A SMART involves multiple stages of randomizations, meaning that some or all individuals participating in a SMART are randomized more than once. This is the SMART’s defining feature.
EXAMPLE. A SMART designed to answer questions about the sequencing and adaptation of behavioral and pharmacological treatments for children with ADHD. Learn more about this study.
What types of questions can a SMART answer?
Featured Resources
Join Our Network
Keep up to date with the latest news, events, software releases, learning modules, and resources from the d3center.