Description of the EQUITy intervention
The EQUITy intervention was a service quality improvement intervention designed to enhance engagement and the quality of psychological interventions delivered by telephone in primary care in the UK. In brief, the EQUITy intervention targets change at service, practitioner, and patient levels and includes three interlinked components that are equally important: 1-Telephone Recommendations for Services, 2-Telephone Skills Training for Practitioners and, 3-Telephone Information Resources for Patients.The Telephone Recommendations for Services comprised a booklet including guidelines for telephone delivery covering five areas (i.e., Promoting Telephone Work, Key Elements of Telephone Work, Telephone Working Environment and Resources, Boosting Telephone Skills, and Promoting Reflection on Telephone Treatment). Services were asked to decide on a set of goals that could be achieved immediately, and another set that may take longer or need more effort to accomplish. This booklet was circulated to the Service Lead/Team Manager. This component of the EQUITy intervention was designed to ensure availability of the most suitable working environment and resources for the delivery of psychological interventions by telephone, enhance the provision of clinical support for remote delivery and facilitate opportunities for professional development.The Telephone Skills Training for Practitioners included two 3-h online training sessions, combining teaching and interactive activities (e.g., role-play, live demonstration of good practice, group exercises). This component of the EQUITy intervention was designed to develop and/or enhance practitioner telephone skills, address negative preconceptions, and increase engagement and confidence in the delivery of psychological interventions by telephone.The Telephone Information Resources for Patients comprised a leaflet containing key information about telephone interventions delivered by psychological well-being-practitioners, an appointment card which also included tips on how to prepare for telephone sessions, and a poster to be displayed at services. This element of the EQUITy intervention was designed to increase awareness of cognitive behavioural therapy and guided-self-help, and its effectiveness when delivered via telephone; it also aimed to address beliefs and pre-conceptions about remote delivery being inferior in quality to face-to-face delivery.The EQUITy intervention was delivered by a team comprising the two principal investigators (PBo, PBe), the programme manager (JG), a clinical academic with robust experience of delivering training and providing therapy as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (KL), a clinical psychologist, two psychological wellbeing practitioners, one clinical academic involved in delivering training for PWPs, one researcher with clinical experience in different evidenced-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CF) and one patient with experience in supporting training of psychological wellbeing practitioners.