The Process, Outcomes, and Challenges of Feasibility Studies Conducted in Partnership With Stakeholders: A Health Intervention for Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Open accessAbstract
Feasibility studies play a crucial role in determining whether complex, community‐based interventions should be subject to efficacy testing. Reports of such studies often focus on efficacy potential but less often examine other elements of feasibility, such as acceptance by clients and professionals, practicality, and system integration, which are critical to decisions for proceeding with controlled efficacy testing. Although stakeholder partnership in feasibility studies is widely suggested to facilitate the research process, strengthen relevance, and increase knowledge transfer, little is written about how this occurs or its consequences and outcomes. We began to address these gaps in knowledge in a feasibility study of a health intervention for women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) conducted in partnership with policy, community and practitioner stakeholders. We employed a mixed‐method design, combining a single‐group, pre‐post intervention study with 52 survivors of IPV, of whom 42 completed data collection, with chart review data and interviews of 18 purposefully sampled participants and all 9 interventionists. We assessed intervention feasibility in terms of acceptability, demand, practicality, implementation, adaptation, integration, and efficacy potential. Our findings demonstrate the scope of knowledge attainable when diverse elements of feasibility are considered, as well as the benefits and challenges of partnership. The implications of diverse perspectives on knowledge transfer are discussed. Our findings show the importance of examining elements of feasibility for complex community‐based health interventions as a basis for determining whether controlled intervention efficacy testing is justified and for refining both the intervention and the research design. © 2015 The Authors. Research in Nursing & Health published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The iHEAL post evaluation showed a significant reduction in depression and PTSD from baseline to 6 months post-intervention, and these improvements were present at 12 months post-intervention.
“The post evaluation revealed significant reduction in depression and PTSD from baseline to 6 months post-intervention, these improvements in mental health outcomes, were present at 12 months post-intervention.”
From A systematic review of intimate partner violence interventions focused on improving social support and/ mental health outcomes of survivors (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
The Efficacy Potential section reports significant improvements in depressive and PTSD symptoms from baseline to month 6, sustained at month 12. But the Study Design section says month 6 was the completion of iHEAL and month 12 was six months later. The claim incorrectly describes both time points as months post-intervention. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNine of the reviewed studies (3 RCTs, 3 pre-post evaluations, 3 qualitative research) consisted of community-based interventions.
“9 (3 RCTs, 3 pre-post evaluations, 3 qualitative research) of the studies we reviewed consisted of interventions described as being community-based [34–42].”
From A systematic review of intimate partner violence interventions focused on improving social support and/ mental health outcomes of survivors (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
In iHEAL, social support showed some initial improvement from baseline to 6 months post-intervention but these changes were not sustained till 12 months post-intervention.
“Other outcomes, like social support, showed some initial improvement from baseline to 6 months post-intervention but these changes were not sustained till 12 months post-intervention.”
From A systematic review of intimate partner violence interventions focused on improving social support and/ mental health outcomes of survivors (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
Process evaluation items were drawn from previous studies of IPV interventions and from a version of the Preparation for Decision-Making Scale.
“Items were drawn from previous studies of IPV interventions [59, 60] and from a version of the Preparation for Decision-Making Scale [61] where women were asked to report on the helpfulness of the online interventions in supporting their efforts to deal with the violence.”
From Longitudinal impacts of an online safety and health intervention for women experiencing intimate partner violence: randomized controlled trial (2020) · cites this paper as [60]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
How we design feasibility studies
Bowen, D. J., Kreuter, M., Spring, B., Cofta-Woerpel, L., Linnan, L., Weiner, D., Bakken, S., Kaplan, C. P., Squiers, L., Fabrizio, C., et al. (2009) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.02.002 · Cited by 3,922 · see citing works
Ellsberg, M., Jansen, H. A., Heise, L., Watts, C. H., & Garcia-Moreno, C. (2008) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(08)60522-x · Cited by 1,820 · see citing works
All Together Now: A Conceptual Exploration of Integrated Care
Kodner, D. (2009) · Healthcare Quarterly · doi:10.12927/hcq.2009.21091 · Cited by 434 · see citing works
Chronic Pain in Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
Wuest, J., Merritt-Gray, M., Ford-Gilboe, M., Lent, B., Varcoe, C., & Campbell, J. C. (2008) · The Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2008.06.009 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Self-citationWuest, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Merritt-Gray, M., & Berman, H. (2003) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732303013005002 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Self-citationPathways of chronic pain in survivors of intimate partner violence
Wuest, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Merritt-Gray, M., Wilk, P., Campbell, J. C., Lent, B., Varcoe, C., & Smye, V. (2010) · Journal of Women's Health · doi:10.1089/jwh.2009.1856 · Cited by 94 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…data gathered in our longitudinal study of Research in Nursing & Health women’s health after leaving (Ford-Gilboe et al., 2009; Varcoe et al., 2011; Wuest et al., 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), we modified the SCLI theory to include six approaches used by women to strengthen capacity to manage…”
MethodSelf-citationFord-Gilboe, M., Wuest, J., & Merritt-Gray, M. (2005) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732305274590 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Self-citationWuest, J., Ford-Gilboe, M., Merritt-Gray, M., Varcoe, C., Lent, B., Wilk, P., & Campbell, J. (2009) · Pain Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00624.x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Self-citationIdentifying Factors that Predict Women's Inability to Maintain Separation from an Abusive Partner
Abdulmohsen Alhalal, E., Ford-Gilboe, M., Kerr, M., & Davies, L. (2012) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.3109/01612840.2012.714054 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 36
- Ali J, Avison WR Employment transitions and psychological distress: the contrasting experiences of single and married mothers Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1997 38 345 362 &. doi: 10.2307/2955430 9425779 · DOI
- Allen N Larsen S Trotter J, Sullivan C Exploring the core service delivery processes of an evidence-based community advocacy program for women with abusive partners Journal of Community Psychology 2013 41 1 18 &. doi: 10.1002/jcop21502 · DOI
- Anderson D Saunders D Yoshihama M Bybee D, Sullivan C Long-term trends in depression among women separated from abusive partners Violence Against Women 2003 9 807 838 &. doi: 10.1177/1077801203009007004 · DOI
- Becker P Publishing pilot intervention studies Research in Nursing & Health 2008 31 1 3. doi: 10.1002/nur.20268 18183570 · DOI
- Blackwood B Methodological issues in evaluating complex healthcare interventions Journal of Advanced Nursing 2006 54 612 622. doi: 10.1111/j.1365–2648.2006.03869.x 16722959 · DOI
- Brown SJ Nursing intervention studies: A descriptive analysis of issues important to clinicians Research in Nursing & Health 2002 25 317 327 12124725
- Browne G Byrne C Roberts J Gafni A, Whittaker S When the bough breaks: Provider-initiated comprehensive care is more effective and less expensive for sole-support parents on Social Assistance Social Science & Medicine 2001 53 1697 1710 & 11762894
- Buckwalter K Grey M Bowers B McCarthy A Gross D Funk M, Beck C Intervention research in highly unstable environments Research in Nursing & Health 2009 32 110 121 &. doi: 10.1002/nur.20309 19035619 PMC2923040 · DOI
- Campbell J Health consequences of intimate partner violence The Lancet 2002 359 1331 1336 11965295
- Campbell J Rose L Kub J, Nedd D Voices of strength and resistance: A contextual and longitudinal analysis of women's responses to battering Journal of Interpersonal Violence 1998 13 743 762 &. doi: 10.1177/088626098013006005 · DOI
- Campbell N Murray E Darbyshire J Emery J Farmer A Griffiths F, Kinmouth A Designing and evaluating complex interventions to improve health care British Medical Journal 2007 334 455 459 &. doi: 10.1136/bmj.oi39108.379965.BE 17332585 PMC1808182 · DOI
- Chesla C Translational research: Essential contributions from interpretive nursing science Research in Nursing & Health 2008 31 381 390. doi: 10.1002/nur.202672005 18231973 · DOI
- Craig P Dieppe P Macintyre S Mitchie S Nazareth I, Petticrew M Developing and evaluating complex interventions: The new Medical Research Council guidance British Medical Journal 2008 337 979 983 & http://www.jstor.org/stable/20511140 PMC2769032 18824488
- Davidson J Book S Colket J Tupler L Roth S David D, Feldman M Assessment of a new self-rating scale for post-traumatic stress disorder Psychological Medicine 1997 27 153 160 &. doi: 10.1017/S003329179600422 9122295 · DOI
- Decker M Frattaroli S McCaw B Coker A Miller E Sharps P, Gielen A Transforming the healthcare response to intimate partner violence and taking best practices to scale Journal of Women's Health 2012 21 1222 1229 &. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2012.4058 PMC3654819 23210490 · DOI
- Dohan D, Schrag D Using navigators to improve care of underserved patients Cancer 2005 104 848 855 &. doi: 10.1002/cncr.21214 16010658 · DOI
- Ford-Gilboe M Wuest J Varcoe C Davies L Merritt-Gray M Hammerton J, Campbell J Modelling the effects of intimate partner violence and access to resources on women's health in the early years after leaving an abusive partner Social Science & Medicine 2009 68 1021 1029 &. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.01.003 19188012 · DOI · Paper page
- Ford-Gilboe M Merritt-Gray M Varcoe C, Wuest J A theory-based primary health care intervention for women who have left abusive partners Advances in Nursing Science 2011 34 198 214 &. doi: 10.1097/ANS.0b013e318228cdc 21654310 · DOI
- Ford-Gilboe M Varcoe C Wuest J, Cambell J Merritt-Gray M Humphreys J Intimate partner violence and nursing practice Family violence and nursing practice 2011 New York Springer 115 154 &, Eds., &. In: (
- Ford-Gilboe M Wuest J Varcoe C, Merritt-Gray M Developing an evidence-based health advocacy intervention to support women who have left abusive partners Canadian Journal of Nursing Research 2006 38 1 147 168 & 16671285
- Green LW, Glasgow R Evaluating the relevance, generalization, and applicability of research: Issues in external validation and translation methodology Evaluation & the Health Professions 2006 29 126 153 &. doi: 10.1177/0163278705284445 16510882 · DOI · Paper page
- Hegarty K The relationship between abuse and depression Nursing Clinics of North America 2011 46 437 444. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2011.08.001 22055901 · DOI
- Hseih H, Shannon S Three approaches to content analysis Qualitative Health Research 2005 15 1277 1288 &. doi: 10.1177/1049732305276687 16204405 · DOI · Paper page
- Kovach C Some thoughts on the hazards of sloppy science when designing and testing multicomponent interventions, including the kitchen sink phenomena Research in Nursing & Health 2009 32 1 3. doi: 10.1002/nur.20307 19048598 · DOI
- McEwen B Central effects of stress hormones in health and disease: Understanding the protective and damaging effects of stress and stress mediators European Journal of Pharmacology 2008 583 174 185. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.11.071 18282566 PMC2474765 · DOI · Paper page
- Pearlin LI Lieberman MA Menaghan EG, Mullan JT The stress process Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1981 22 37 356 & 7320473
- Plichta S Intimate partner violence and physical health consequences: Policy and practice implications Journal of Interpersonal Violence 2004 19 1296 1323. doi: 10.1177/0886260504269685 15534333 · DOI
- Plichta S Interactions between victims of intimate partner violence against women and the health care system: Policy and practice implications Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 2007 8 226 239. doi: 10.1177/1524838007301220 17545576 · DOI
- Radloff L The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population Applied Psychological Measurement 1977 1 385 401. doi: 10.1177/014662167700100306 · DOI · Paper page
- Scott-Storey, K. (2013). Lifetime abuse as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease among women. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
- Sidani S Epstein D, Moritz P An alternative paradigm for clinical nursing research: An exemplar Research in Nursing & Health 2003 26 244 255 &. doi: 10.1002/nur.10086 12754732 · DOI
- Sullivan C, Bybee D Reducing violence using community-based advocacy for women with abusive partners Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1999 67 43 53 & 10028208
- Tilden VP Hirsch AM, Nelson CA The interpersonal relationship inventory: Continued psychometric evaluation Journal of Nursing Measurement 1994 2 63 78 & 7882093
- Varcoe C Hankivsky O Ford-Gilboe M Wuest J Wilk P Hammerton J, Campbell J Attributing selected costs to intimate partner violence in a sample of women who have left abusive partners: A social determinants of health approach Canadian Public Policy 2011 37 359 380 &. doi: 10.1353/cpp.2011.0029 22175082 · DOI
- Wuest J Ford-Gilboe M Merritt-Gray M Beck C Varcoe C Building on “grab”, attending to “fit”, and being prepared to “modify”: How grounded theory “works” to guide a health intervention for abused women Routledge handbook of qualitative research in nursing 2013 London Routledge 32 46. In (Ed.),, & (
- Wuest J Merritt-Gray M Lent B Varcoe C Connors A, Ford-Gilboe M Patterns of medication use among women survivors of intimate partner violence Canadian Journal of Public Health 2007 98 460 464 &. 19039883 PMC6976228
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Ogbe, E., Harmon, S., Van den Bergh, R., & Degomme, O. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0235177 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
“Wuest et al [41] described a collaborative partnership with different stakeholders (academic, NGOs and community members) to develop a comprehensive intervention to IPV, ‘Intervention for Health Enhancement After Leaving (iHEAL), a primary health care intervention for women recently separated from violent/abusive part…”
BackgroundFord-Gilboe, M., Varcoe, C., Scott-Storey, K., Perrin, N., Wuest, J., Wathen, C. N., Case, J., & Glass, N. (2020) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-020-8152-8 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Self-citationRivas, C., Vigurs, C., Cameron, J., & Yeo, L. (2019) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd013135.pub2 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Ford-Gilboe, M., Varcoe, C., Scott-Storey, K., Wuest, J., Case, J., Currie, L. M., Glass, N., Hodgins, M., MacMillan, H., Perrin, N., et al. (2017) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4143-9 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Self-citationFord-Gilboe, M., Varcoe, C., Wuest, J., Campbell, J., Pajot, M., Heslop, L., & Perrin, N. (2023) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/08862605221090595 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Wuest, J., Merritt‐Gray, M., Dubé, N., Hodgins, M. J., Malcolm, J., Majerovich, J. A., Scott‐Storey, K., Ford‐Gilboe, M., & Varcoe, C.
- Affiliations
- University of New Brunswick (CA)
- Government of New Brunswick (CA)
- Assistant Professor University of New Brunswick Faculty of Nursing Fredericton NB Canada
- Western University (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Wuest, Judith
- Venue
- Research in Nursing & Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-01-12
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 82-96
- ISSN
- 0160-6891 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-240X
- PMC
- PMC4305208
- OpenAlex
- W1929988815
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 5.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Research in Nursing & Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (101529)
- Nw Brunswick Health Research Foundation (101529)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Community Health and Development
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Keywords
- feasibility study, stakeholder collaboration, intimate partner violence, women survivors, community-based health interventions, acceptability, demand, practicality, implementation, knowledge transfer, intervention adaptation, system integration, efficacy evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Community Health Nursing, Feasibility Studies, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Quality of Life, Social Support, Spouse Abuse, Women's Health, Survivors, Battered Women
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
