ASSISTS: App for Strengthening Services In Specialized Therapeutic Support

Sponsor

University of Pennsylvania (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT05207956

Collaborator

(none)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

9.4

Actual Duration (Months)

2.9

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

In partnership with a digital health software company, the University research team created two versions of a mobile application to help behavioral health technicians (BHT's) who work with students with autism collect data. The first version comprises a basic electronic platform for data collection. The second version has the same basic electronic platform for data collection, plus additional features designed to increase motivation to collect data and ease the burden of data collection.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Autism Spectrum Disorder	Behavioral: Behavioral economics strategies Other: Electronic platform	N/A

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

27 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Parallel Assignment

Intervention Model Description:

After consenting to participate in the trial, participants will be randomized in pairs to one of the two study arms.After consenting to participate in the trial, participants will be randomized in pairs to one of the two study arms.

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

App for Strengthening Services In Specialized Therapeutic Support

Actual Study Start Date :

Sep 9, 2021

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Jun 21, 2022

Actual Study Completion Date :

Jun 21, 2022

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Enhanced Electronic Platform A basic electronic platform for data collection that contains additional features designed to increase motivation to collect data and ease of data collection.	Behavioral: Behavioral economics strategies Behavioral economics features designed to increase motivation to collect data and ease of data collection on the electronic platform. Other: Electronic platform Electronic platform to collect data
Active Comparator: Electronic Platform Not Enhanced A basic electronic platform for data collection.	Other: Electronic platform Electronic platform to collect data

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Enhanced Electronic Platform

A basic electronic platform for data collection that contains additional features designed to increase motivation to collect data and ease of data collection.

Behavioral: Behavioral economics strategies

Behavioral economics features designed to increase motivation to collect data and ease of data collection on the electronic platform.

Other: Electronic platform

Electronic platform to collect data

Active Comparator: Electronic Platform Not Enhanced

A basic electronic platform for data collection.

Other: Electronic platform

Electronic platform to collect data

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

The average difference in hourly data collection between groups across three weeks [Three-week trial period]
Measure of frequency paraprofessionals collect hourly interval data with children during each school day, across a three week period.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire [Assessed at baseline and 3 weeks after enrollment]
Theory of Planned Behavior Questionnaire: A measure of participant's intentions to collect data as measured on a 7-point Likert scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". The questionnaire is 7 questions and measures intentions, attitude, perceived norms, and self-efficacy. There is no better or worse outcome measured by the scale, only intentions to implement the intervention.
System Usability Scale [Assessed at baseline and 3 weeks after enrollment]
System Usability Scale: A validated measure of the usability and satisfaction with a specific technology. Measured by answering 10 questions on a 5-point Likert scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". There is no better or worse outcome measured by the scale, only intentions to implement the intervention.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and Older

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants must be working as a paraprofessionals or behavioral health technicians
Currently providing individual support to children with autism
Currently providing services in Philadelphia preschools, schools, day cares, or homes.