title: A comparison of self-reported and phone-administered methods of ACT fidelity assessment: a pilot study in Indiana.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Monitoring fidelity of assertive community treatment (ACT) teams is costly. This study investigated the reliability and validity of a less burdensome approach: self-reported assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Phone-administered and self-reported assessments were compared for 16 ACT teams. Team leaders completed a self-report protocol providing information sufficient to score the Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale (DACTS). Two raters scored the DACTS using only self-reported information. Two additional raters conducted phone interviews with team leaders, verifying the self-reported data, and independently scored the DACTS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DACTS total scores obtained via self-reported assessments were reliable and valid compared with phone-administered assessment on the basis of interrater consistency (intraclass correlation) and consensus (mean rating differences). Phone-administered assessments agreed with self-reported assessments within .25 scale points (out of 5 points) for 15 of 16 teams.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A self-report approach could address concerns regarding costs of monitoring as part of a stepped approach to quality assurance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. jmcgrew@iupui.edu
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McGrew
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Laura G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Stull
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wright-Berryman
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D057566:Self Report