Methods Incubation Core

Northwestern University At Chicago, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY — METHODS INCUBATION CORE (MIC) The objective of the proposed Mental Health, Earlier (MHE) ALACRITY Research Center is to reduce prevalence and burden of mental illness via earlier intervention within real-world health care delivery systems. The central methodological challenge is equitable implementation of evidence-based mental health innovations that aligns with the needs and resources of community-based pediatric primary care systems and the diverse communities they serve. The Center's Methods Incubation Core (MIC) will facilitate innovation and testing of solutions to challenges that have inhibited translation of evidence-based tools and preventive interventions within pediatric primary care systems. Achieving the objective of the MHE Center will be realized through transdisciplinary meth- odologic integration grounded in implementation and prevention sciences, leveraging health information tech- nology (HIT), and using developmentally sensitive, pragmatic measurement tools and calculators that are feasi- ble and scalable. The MIC brings together experts in critical methodologic areas to perform two foundational functions for the MHE Center: (1) innovate and apply implementation science, HIT, and pragmatic measurement and analytic methods to improve implementation of evidence-based interventions to detect and prevent mental health problems at the earliest phase of the clinical sequence and (2) provide integrated and consistent meth- odologic support across the Center's Research Projects (RPs), the Signature Project (SP), and the Pilot Projects. The MIC specific aims are: Aim 1: INNOVATE: Serve as a hub for cross-project methodologic synergies to advance the science of equitable implementation in pediatric learning health systems. The MIC will be at the nexus of identifying, developing, and disseminating novel methods (e.g., the roll-out implementation optimization design), while highlighting unique transdisciplinary advancements facilitated by the Center's collaborative struc- ture. Aim 2: SUPPORT: Ensure methodologic support for the Center's research activities. The MIC is charged with ensuring that the Center's projects and research activities have excellent methodologic support to carry out their aims and for the Center as a whole to achieve its overall research and training aims. We will provide multi- disciplinary methodologic support, pulling from investigators' expertise in implementation and behavioral science theories, models, and frameworks; human-centered design; HIT; and measurement science. The MIC is struc- tured as a platform for transdisciplinary expertise to coalesce around novel methodologic challenges as they are encountered to offer practical means of keeping projects moving. Aim 3: RDoC APPLICATIONS: The MIC will lead testing, application, and extension of RDoC principles for testing prevention implementation and intervention mechanistic hypothesis in the context of routine care, centered on novel implementation strategies to advance mental health promotion and the mediators and moderators of a transdiagnostic intervention targeting irritability and self-regulation via parenting. The MIC will allocate necessary methodologic expertise and Core resources to address emerging and anticipated challenges and opportunities in near real time.