Improving Outcomes in Social Services Through Routine Outcome Monitoring and Systematic Client Feedback

NCT ID: NCT07303608

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

400 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-05

Study Completion Date

2028-12-15

Brief Summary

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In this project the investigators want to test whether a new method FIT (Feedback informed treatment) can improve the interventions people receive through social services. The FIT method involves regularly providing information about how the client think things are going and what the client thinks about the help and care they receive.

Detailed Description

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A randomized controlled trial conducted in social services' outpatient care, addiction care and in residential treatment. In addition to direct effects of using FIT (Feedback informed treatment), cost-effectiveness, instrument psychometrics and predictive value will be examined. The project include outcome measures for quality of life, behavior and symptoms which have been selected in collaboration with representatives of the users (social workers and clients). The project will also examine both clients' and social workers' experiences of giving and receiving feedback using FIT, as well as examine factors that influence implementation within social services.

Social services have an ambition to use evidence based practice, but there is a lack of methods that can help social workers and the social service to systematically follow and adapt the interventions based on the clients' situation, context and preferences. FIT is an internationally proven system for doing this. If findings of the current project are positive, it can be spread within social services through an existing network of practitioners and with existing digital tools.

Participating units with experience and interest in FIT will be recruited in collaboration with the Swedish FIT network and with already engaged municipalities and treatment units. The project will ensure that participating social workers have sufficient skills and that their workplace is ready to work with FIT. Clients who are granted treatment at the unit will be asked if they want to be included in a study where they can give feedback on the interventions they receive and help to follow their progress. After baseline, they will be randomized to treatment as usual or treatment with the addition of FIT. To support implementation, the therapists in the FIT group will be offered regular supervision.

Conditions

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Substance Use Disorders Criminal Behavior Domestic Violence Social Care Family Communication Family Conflict Child Behavior Problem Housing Everyday Activities

Keywords

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Social services Feedback informed treatment Systematic client feedback Routine outcome management

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Feedback-informed treatment (FIT)

Feedback-informed treatment (FIT) added to treatment as usual. The social workers will use FIT together with the participant at each visit or unit of service (week) The components of FIT is administrating the Outcome Rating Scale at the beginning of session and Session Rating Scale at the end of the session, calculating and interpreting the values (digitally or manually) as well as discussing the results, trying to create a culture of feedback (actively seek and value honest client input).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Feedback informed treatment (FIT)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Consists of digital or paper tools that systematically collect feedback from the client and presents this to counselor or therapist. However, FIT is more than a collection of measures: an approach, both on the part of the social worker and on the part of the organization, where feedback from the client is actively sought and welcomed, and support of flexibility that interventions can be changed during the treatment period to prevent a negative outcome.

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Psychosocial support and treatment interventions to help clients in social services with various problems. This can be in the form of individual counselling, social casework, family and network interventions, and similar. These interventions include a variation of cognitive, behavioral, family therapeutic and psychodynamic therapeutic techniques as well as methods for supporting and caring for the client rather than treating specific conditions. The task of social services in Sweden borders to that of psychiatry, addiction care and the correctional system, which are organized on a regional or national level, as opposed to the municipal grounding of social services. Interventions are carried out in the client's environment, in outpatient care and through residential treatment facilities.

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Treatment as usual at social services without the use of the components in Feedback informed treatment.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Psychosocial support and treatment interventions to help clients in social services with various problems. This can be in the form of individual counselling, social casework, family and network interventions, and similar. These interventions include a variation of cognitive, behavioral, family therapeutic and psychodynamic therapeutic techniques as well as methods for supporting and caring for the client rather than treating specific conditions. The task of social services in Sweden borders to that of psychiatry, addiction care and the correctional system, which are organized on a regional or national level, as opposed to the municipal grounding of social services. Interventions are carried out in the client's environment, in outpatient care and through residential treatment facilities.

Interventions

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Feedback informed treatment (FIT)

Consists of digital or paper tools that systematically collect feedback from the client and presents this to counselor or therapist. However, FIT is more than a collection of measures: an approach, both on the part of the social worker and on the part of the organization, where feedback from the client is actively sought and welcomed, and support of flexibility that interventions can be changed during the treatment period to prevent a negative outcome.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as usual (TAU)

Psychosocial support and treatment interventions to help clients in social services with various problems. This can be in the form of individual counselling, social casework, family and network interventions, and similar. These interventions include a variation of cognitive, behavioral, family therapeutic and psychodynamic therapeutic techniques as well as methods for supporting and caring for the client rather than treating specific conditions. The task of social services in Sweden borders to that of psychiatry, addiction care and the correctional system, which are organized on a regional or national level, as opposed to the municipal grounding of social services. Interventions are carried out in the client's environment, in outpatient care and through residential treatment facilities.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Partners for Change Outcome System (PCOMS) Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) System Rating Scale (SRS) Social services psychosocial support and treatment

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

People who have been granted assistance under the Social Services Act at includes centers.

Exclusion Criteria

* People who do not have sufficient knowledge of Swedish or have impaired cognitive functions that prevent them from using FIT in Swedish, as they cannot benefit from the intervention that the study intends to evaluate the effects of. This is assessed by the respective social service.
* People who receive support and treatment interventions that are not voluntary, i.e. interventions according to the Act on the Compulsory Care of Young People (LVU) or the Act on the Compulsory Care of Drug Abusers (LVM)
Minimum Eligible Age

15 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Karolinska Institutet

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Magnus Johansson

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Magnus Johansson, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Karolinska Institutet

Locations

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Linköpings kommun

Linköping, , Sweden

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Sweden

Central Contacts

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Magnus Johansson, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +46812345783

Email: [email protected]

Therese Nestor

Role: CONTACT

Email: [email protected]

Other Identifiers

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2023-01738

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2025-00833-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id