From Ideas to Efficacy: The ORBIT Model for Developing Behavioral Treatments for Chronic Diseases

By Susan M Czajkowski, L. H. Powell, Nancy Adler, S. Naar-King, K. Reynolds, Christine Hunter, Barbara A. Laraia, Deborah H Olster, Frank M Perna, J. Peterson and 3 more. Health Psychology, 2015

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Objective Given the critical role of behavior in preventing and treating chronic diseases, it is important to accelerate the development of behavioral treatments that can improve chronic disease prevention and outcomes. Findings from basic behavioral and social science research hold great promise for addressing behaviorally-based clinical health problems, yet there is currently no established pathway for translating fundamental behavioral science discoveries into health-related treatments ready for Phase III efficacy testing. This article provides a systematic framework for guiding efforts to translate basic behavioral science findings into behavioral treatments for preventing and treating chronic illness. Methods The ORBIT model for behavioral treatment development is described as involving a flexible and progressive process, pre-specified clinically significant milestones for forward movement, and return to earlier stages for refinement and optimization. Results This article presents the background and rationale for the ORBIT model, a summary of key questions for each phase, a selection of study designs and methodologies well-suited to answering these questions, and pre-specified milestones for forward or backward movement across phases. Conclusions The ORBIT model provides a progressive, clinically-relevant approach to increasing the number of evidence-based behavioral treatments available to prevent and treat chronic diseases.

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Physiology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/8e32c6d26c048968d2c4dc39af5bd6a524b297e0