Psychometric Properties of the General Organizational Index (GOI): A Measure of Individualization and Quality Improvement to Complement Program Fidelity

Abstract

To assess the implementation of effective practices, mental health programs need standardized measures. The General Organizational Index (GOI), although widely used for this purpose, has received minimal psychometric research. For this study, we assessed psychometric properties of the GOI scale administered four times over 18 months during the implementation of a new program in 11 sites. The GOI scale demonstrated high levels of interrater reliability (.97), agreement between assessors on item ratings (86% overall), internal consistency (.77-.80 at three time points), sensitivity to change, and feasibility. We conclude that the GOI scale has acceptable psychometric properties, and its use may enhance implementation and research on evidence-based mental health practices. Trial registration: REK2015/2169. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03271242

A cluster randomized controlled trial comparing Virtual Learning Collaborative and Technical Assistance strategies to implement an early palliative care program for patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers: a study protocol

“…General Organizational Index (GOI) which measures fidelity to an evidence-based practice by assessing two key elements of implementation: individualization and quality improvement [64]. The GOI has been shown to have acceptable psychometric properties [39]. The ENABLE GOI structured interview guide covers 12 domains (program philosophy, eligibility/client identification, penetration, assessment, individualized initial palliative care treatment plan, individualized subsequent ENABLE contacts, supervision, process monitoring, outcome monitoring, quality assurance, and client choices regarding service provision) associated with successful implementation.…”

Implementation of guidelines on family involvement for persons with psychotic disorders in community mental health centres (IFIP): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

“…We use one scale to assess the practice and content of family psychoeducation (scale 1) and a general organisational index (GOI) scale (scale 2) to assess the organisation, penetration rate, and general integration of family psychoeducation in the unit's clinical practice. These scales were used in BPB and demonstrated robust psychometric properties [45,46]. The third scale (scale 3) gives a composite assessment of structure, content, implementation, and penetration rate of basic family involvement and support.…”

Fidelity Scale: From Black Box to Holy Grail

“…Another observation is that, on the whole, the psychometric properties of the scales examined were found to be satisfactory. However, the fidelity scales that have been around for some time—addressing Family Psychoeducation (FPE; Joa et al 2020 ), Illness Management and Recovery (IMR; Egeland et al 2019 ) and the General Organizational Index (GOI; Heiervang et al 2020 )—overall had slightly better results than those that have been developed more recently for physical healthcare (Ruud et al 2020a ) and antipsychotic medication management (Ruud et al 2020b ). This is probably due, at least in part, to the fact that the earlier scales have a longer history of testing and improvement.…”

“…This might have been due to the characteristics of the intervention, the expertise and motivation of the practitioners involved, or it might have had more to do with organizational conditions. Finally, it is interesting to note that the mean GOI score at baseline was practically ‘1’ (Heiervang et al 2020 ). This result seems unlikely as it suggests that individualization of treatment and quality improvement were completely non-existent in the participating organisations at the start of the project.…”