Request a Consultation
The Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs) is committed to supporting the development of research grants and meaningful publications in the academic community. Our consultation services can provide guidance to academic investigators at universities or community mental health agencies in the following areas:
Clinical Services Design
Digital mental health programs are often designed as services rather than as standalone tools. At CBITs, we have experience in translating mental health interventions into a digital format, in developing human support (or coaching) protocols for digital mental health tools and in training staff on human support (or coaching) protocols.
User-Centered Design (UCD)
One of the main failure points for digital mental health programs is that they do not not involve the stakeholders/users of these programs in the design process. CBITs faculty have developed extensive expertise in integrating users in the design process.
We have specific expertise in the following areas:
- Different aspects of UCD work: needs assessment, prototype development & feedback, usability testing
- UCD study design
- Multi-method data collection and analysis methods
Virtual Trial Management
Virtual trials involve recruiting and collecting data from study participants remotely. Virtual trials leverage online tools (e.g., REDCap), platforms (e.g., social media) and technologies (e.g., apps, websites) to facilitate study activities. Some of these activities include recruitment, informed consent, longitudinal data collection and intervention delivery. The research support team as CBITs has considerable experience devising systems to strategically manage and automate virtual trial activities.
We have specific expertise in the following areas:
- Identifying resources for virtual trial management
- Devising cost-effective strategies for subject recruitment
- Building semi-automated systems to rapidly screen and enroll subjects
Digital Mental Health Trial Design
We provide consultation on our Accelerated Creation-to-Sustainment (ACTS) research framework, which outlines design and evaluation processes that produce valid and generalizable findings rapidly, are useful and usable to all stakeholders (patients, providers and organizations) and which result in sustainable implementation.
What to Expect from a Consultation
After you submit a consultation request via REDCap, a member of the Administrative Core will contact you within two business days to solicit additional information on the request and solicit availability (if not already provided via the submission portal). These consultations are intended to benefit faculty members or scholars in the digital mental health space. If you are an entrepreneur interested in collaborating, we will do our best to connect you with resources but cannot promise you a consultation.
CBITS will facilitate the scheduling of an hour-long telephone or video consultation. Consultations are typically scheduled within two weeks of the initial request.
CBITS may refer the consultee to other faculty members outside of the center who have the appropriate expertise after the initial consultation.
After a consultation, both consultants and consultees will each be requested to complete an evaluation form; consultees may also be contacted to obtain additional information on the consultation outcomes.