Kaiser Permanente: A Proposed Framework for Designing Trials Evaluating the Effectiveness and Implementation of Digital Behavioral Health Interventions

Theresa Matson, PhD, MPH (Collaborative Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute), and Joseph Glass, PhD, MSW (Associate Investigator,  Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; Affiliate Associate Professor, University of Washington Department of Health Systems and Population Health)

“A Proposed Framework for Designing Trials Evaluating the Effectiveness and Implementation of Digital Behavioral Health Interventions.”

About our guest speakers: 

Theresa (“Tessa”) Matson, PhD, MPH is a Collaborative Scientist at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute. Dr. Matson’s research seeks to integrate addiction health services within primary care in patient-centered ways that reduce disparities and help patients feel valued and more informed about treatment options. Recent work describes gaps and potential biases in diagnosis and treatment of cannabis use disorder and validates practical tools to improve its recognition in primary care. Dr. Matson currently applies her implementation science expertise on NIDA-funded trials designed to improve the provision of care for opioid and other substance use disorders in primary care settings, including studies to promote equity in the reach of digital interventions for substance use disorders. During her doctoral studies at University of Washington’s Department of Health Systems and Population Health, Tessa completed a predoctoral fellowship at VA Puget Sound, where she studied system-level, organizational-level, and patient-level determinants to receipt of evidence-based treatment for alcohol use disorder and other essential care among vulnerable populations, and applied motivational interviewing and user-centered design principles as approaches to improve patient engagement.

Joseph Glass, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and Affiliate Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at University of Washington. He studies how to reach more patients who have substance use disorders with effective treatments. As a clinical social worker by training, he brings a unique perspective to this problem. Much of his recent work, which is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, applies implementation science methods to study the integration of digital therapeutics into healthcare systems.