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When conducting an intervention study, researchers need to ensure the intervention or treatment is carried out the same way each time. In the study by Thompson, Thomson, Gaskin, and Plummer (2019) in this issue, the intervention was outlined in detail even though intervention fidelity is not mentioned. Researchers need to consider how to achieve the fidelity of their intervention when conducting a study, and readers need to examine research reports for how authors consistently implement the treatment. Intervention fidelity is essential to evidencebased practice and quality improvement projects as well as research. In this column, I will provide a brief introduction to intervention fidelity with some key references.
What Is intervention Fidelity?
Intervention fidelity has been defined as the extent to which the intervention is delivered as intended over time (Gray, Grove, & Sutherland, 2017; Murphy & Gutman, 2012). Researchers must consider the theoretical and operational levels of intervention fidelity. The fidelity of an intervention or treatment is particularly important in behavioral or educational study as the conduct of the intervention can drift from what was intended. Drift is a threat to internal validity and may lead to unclear and confused results (Toomy & Hardeman, 2017).
To address fidelity, researchers need to design a study to include methods to assess and monitor the reliability and validity of the intervention. Researchers should assess what is delivered to enable an accurate evaluation (Toomy & Hardeman, 2017). Reporting these methods is necessary for readers to judge the quality of a study....