Expanding what Constitutes Evidence in Service Provision Decisions for Women with Substance Use Issues

Gabriela Novotna, PhD

Research on evidence-informed decision making in addiction treatment agencies rarely addresses the complexity of the process or the variety of sources of evidence that are used. In addition to research evidence, decision makers draw on their personal experiences, values and beliefs, best practices, client assessment, and expert opinion when making their decisions.

Findings of a qualitative study involving 23 executive directors of addiction agencies serving women with substance abuse issues in Canada suggest that some administrators rely heavily on their personal experience with addiction or recovery, while others perceive it as a source of information that complements other types of evidence. To outline the directions for future knowledge translation interventions that would be tailored to the needs of service providers and administrators with personal recovery experiences, we invited the interviewed professionals to continue in a structured and anonymous group communication process conducted as a modified Delphi Study. The methodological issues pertaining to the use of modified Delphi Study in the process of reaching a consensus regarding the future knowledge translation interventions in addiction agencies serving women will be presented.

Research methods that engage service providers and administrators in a collaborative, iterative process of decision-making with the intent of informing the development of knowledge translation strategies produce information that is more likely to be relevant to end users.