A Measure for Supporting Implementation of Direct Telehealth Therapy with Treatment Integrity

As direct telehealth therapy sessions are being increasingly provided for safety reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical to ensure that sessions are implemented with integrity by direct service providers. While existing research addresses the efficacy of the telehealth model, there is no literature on integrity measures tied to this service model. Without a framework or point of reference, clinicians new to the field or telehealth therapy may not be able or willing to attempt to implement telehealth therapy. The telehealth therapy treatment integrity measure (TTTIM) is designed to delineate components of effective telehealth therapy, including both aspects of instruction that should be generalized from in-person sessions to telehealth therapy sessions as well as new elements that are unique to telehealth therapy. A description of how the measure can be utilized to support training, both initial and ongoing, of direct service providers is included. This measure can support clinicians in ensuring that direct service providers are working within their scope of competence when providing telehealth therapy.