Usability Evaluation for Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions (USE-EBPI): A methodology for assessing complex intervention implementability.

Characteristics of evidence-based psychosocial interventions (EBPIs) that impact the extent to which they can be implemented in real world mental health service settings have received far less attention than the characteristics of individuals (e.g., clinicians) or settings (e.g., community mental health centers), where EBPI implementation occurs. No methods exist to evaluate the usability of EBPIs, which can be a critical barrier or facilitator of implementation success. The current article describes a new method, the Usability Evaluation for Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions (USE-EBPI), which uses techniques drawn from the field of human-centered design to evaluate EBPI usability. An example application to an intervention protocol for anxiety problems among adults is included to illustrate the value of the new approach.