Change Models, Tools & Instruments

Deming’s PDSA Cycle of Change:  The Deming Cycle, or PDCA Cycle (also known as PDSA Cycle), is a continuous quality improvement model consisting out of a logical sequence of four repetitive steps for continuous improvement and learning: Plan, Do, Check (Study) and Act. –ISIXSIGMA

Donabedian’s Structure Process Outcome:  a conceptual model that provides a framework for examining health services and evaluating quality of health care. According to the model, information about the quality of care can be drawn from three categories: “structure,” “process,” and “outcomes.” –Wiki

Duck Change Curve Model: focuses on people and the range of their emotional responses to change. In The Change Monster, Duck describes the way in which organizational change follows a predictable series of events she calls the “change curve.” Duck’s five stages include stagnation, preparation, implementation, determination, and fruition. –Organizational Change

Kotter & Cohen’s Model of Change: John Kotter (1996), a Harvard Business School Professor and a renowned change expert, introduced the 8 Step Model of Change which he developed based on research of 100 organizations that were going through a process of change. The 8 steps in the process of change include: creating a sense of urgency, forming powerful guiding coalitions, developing a vision and a strategy, communicating the vision, removing obstacles and empowering employees for action, creating short-term wins, consolidating gains, and strengthening change by anchoring change in the culture. –Management Study Guide. Also, Check-Out:

  • Dr. Kotter’s Website about the 8 steps
  • Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model; Implementing Change Powerfully and Successfully by Mind Tools
  • Successful Change Management — the model sets out the 8 key steps of the change process, arguing that neglecting any of the steps can be enough for the whole initiative to fail.

Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations: Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, developed by E.M. Rogers in 1962, is one of the oldest social science theories. It originated in communication to explain how, over time, an idea or product gains momentum and diffuses (or spreads) through a specific population or social system. The end result of this diffusion is that people, as part of a social system, adopt a new idea, behavior, or product – Boston University School of Public Health

Resources for Measurements and Tools Used in Nursing Research and Practice


Mental Health & Psychiatric Care

  • 12-Step Participation Expectancies Questionnaire — This measure was designed to survey common attitudes and expectancies that patients with alcohol dependence may have about participating in 12-step mutual-help groups.
  • Abstinence Orientation Scale — The Abstinence Orientation Scale (AOS) was developed to measure commitment to abstinence-oriented treatment policies in treatment staff and other providers.
  • Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – measures psychological flexibility in relation to substance use-related thoughts, feelings, and urges. The focus of the AAQ-SA is on one’s relation to or the functions of private events, versus the content of the events themselves. This instrument may provide useful information about processes of change in substance abuse treatment and guide modifications to ongoing treatment strategies.
  • Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents — a brief, multi-dimensional, multi-cultural acculturation scale developed specifically for use with teens.
  • Addiction Belief Scale — This scale was developed to assess the strength of belief in the disease versus the free-will model of addiction among treatment providers.
  • Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale – This scale was developed to better capture symptoms of ADHD in adult patients.
  • Advanced Warning of Relapse (addictions) — The AWARE Questionnaire was designed to measure the warning signs of relapse and identify potential relapse risk and precipitants in addicts.
  • American Psychological Association’s FAQ/Finding Information About Psychological Tests
  • Bem Sex Role Inventory — designed for conducting empirical research on psychological androgyny. It is also used for workshops and counseling on gender awareness.
  • Buros Institute of Mental Measurements:
  • Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN) — a comprehensive needs assessment and treatment outcome tool.
  • CHIPTS Dealing with Illness — Dealing With Illness scale was designed to assess cognitive and behavioral responses made in efforts to cope with illness and was based on Billings and Moos’ (1981) description of three methods of coping.
  • Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) — a clinician-administered, pen and paper instrument that rates eleven common opiate withdrawal signs or symptoms.
  • Depression Anxiety Stress Scales — a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress.
  • Health and Daily Living Form (HDL, HDLF) — a structured assessment for patient and community groups that assesses health-related factors such as alcohol consumption, drinking problems, and depression.
  • HIV and Abuse Related Shame Inventory (HARSI) — 31 items intended to assess HIV- and sexual abuse-related shame and the impact of shame on HIV-related health behaviors.
  • Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES, IES-R) — The IES-R is a 22-item self-report measure that assesses subjective distress caused by traumatic events.
  • Life Orientation Test – Revised (LOT-R) — assesses trait-like optimism and pessimism via general, dispositional outcome expectancies of the respondent.
  • Mental Health Inventory — The 37 measures in the Mental Health Inventory is part of the 116 core measures of functioning and well-being from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), a two-year study of patients with chronic conditions.
  • Mental Illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes Scale (MICA) — developed to serve as a reliable, valid, and responsive scale for assessing medical students’ attitudes toward people with mental illness.
  • Methamphetamine Experience Questionnaire (MEQ) — provides useful information on drug use variables that contribute to paranoia commonly associated with methamphetamine use.
  • Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) — an instrument for measuring the perception of stress.
  • Protective Behavioral Strategies for Marijuana Scale — a short assessment form that minimizes respondent burden and time.
  • Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale – Self-report (PDS) — a 49-item self-report instrument designed to aid in the detection and diagnosis of PTSD.
  • RAND Depression Screener — The screener included the items for assessing major depressive and dysthymic disorders from the 12-month Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and items assessing depression symptoms in the past month.
  • RAND Partners in Care Tools for Improving Care for Depression in Primary Care — Its two quality improvement programs — one focused on medication, the other on psychotherapy — are designed for use with socioeconomically and ethnically diverse populations and can be implemented successfully by clinicians in nonacademic managed care settings.
  • Reasons for Delaying Treatment (RDT) — This scale examines perceived barriers to addiction treatment.
  • Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS) — This instrument measures the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of counselors who work with lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.
  • Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) — a brief behavioral screening questionnaire for children and teens ages 3-16 that asks about 25 attributes, some positive and others negative.
  • Substance Abuse Attitude Survey (SAAS) — measures medical students and physician/clinician attitudes towards various aspects of alcohol and drug misuse.
  • Suicide Attempt Self-injury Interview (SASII) — used to assess the topography, context, and intent of suicidal and other self-injurious behaviors.

Nursing Repository

Print Friendly, PDF & Email