Using Decision Analysis for Intervention Value Efficiency to Select Optimized Interventions in the Multiphase Optimization Strategy

Objective: Optimizing multicomponent behavioral and biobehavioral interventions presents a complex decision problem. To arrive at an intervention that is both effective and readily implementable, it may be necessary to weigh effectiveness against implementability when deciding which components to select for inclusion. Different components may have differential effectiveness on an array of outcome variables. Moreover, different decision-makers will approach this problem with different objectives and preferences. Recent advances in decision-making methodology in the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) have opened new possibilities for intervention scientists to optimize interventions based on a wide variety of decision-maker preferences, including those that involve multiple outcome variables. In this study, we introduce decision analysis for intervention value efficiency (DAIVE), a decision-making framework for use in MOST that incorporates these new decision-making methods. We apply DAIVE to select optimized interventions based on empirical data from a factorial optimization trial. Method: We define various sets of hypothetical decision-maker preferences, and we apply DAIVE to identify optimized interventions appropriate to each case. Results: We demonstrate how DAIVE can be used to make decisions about the composition of optimized interventions and how the choice of optimized intervention can differ according to decision-maker preferences and objectives. Conclusions: We offer recommendations for intervention scientists who want to apply DAIVE to select optimized interventions based on data from their own factorial optimization trials.