A Developmental Model for Determining Whether the Treatment is Actually Implemented

Abstract

Determining whether or not the treatment or innovation under study is actually in use, and if so, how it is being used, is essential to the interpretation of any study. The concept of Levels of Use of the Innovation (LoU) permits an operational, cost-feasible description and documentation of whether or not an innovation or treatment is being implemented. Data from change research and evaluation studies indicate that there are eight different LoU’s that can be reliably measured. Knowing the LoU of individuals within a research or evaluation sample can avoid holding false assumptions and making misleading interpretations about the user/nonuser and the effects of the treatment or innovation under study.