When programs benefit some people more than others: tests of differential service effectiveness.
Practitioners need to know for whom evidence-based services are most or least effective, but few services research studies provide this information. Using data from a randomized controlled comparison of supported employment findings for two multi-service psychiatric rehabilitation programs, we illustrate and compare procedures for measuring program-by-client characteristic interactions depicting differential program effectiveness, and then illustrate how a significant program-by-client interaction can explain overall program differences in service effectiveness. Interaction analyses based on cluster analysis-identified sample subgroups appear to provide statistically powerful and meaningful hypothesis tests that can aid in the interpretation of main effect findings and help to refine program theory.
Macias
Cathaleene
C
McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA. cmacias@mclean.harvard.edu
Jones
Danson R
DR
Hargreaves
William A
WA
Wang
Qi
Q
Rodican
Charles F
CF
Barreira
Paul J
PJ
Gold
Paul B
PB
D016832:Employment, Supported; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016730:Program Development; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic