An evidence‐based approach to improving the quality of resource‐oriented well‐being interventions at work

Although there is much research on the links between work and well‐being, there is relatively little good‐quality research on resource‐based or other interventions such as more traditional stress management and job redesign. This paper provides guidance about how to improve the quality of intervention research. First, drawing on the logic of interventions and principles of evidence‐based practice, we take the example of a relatively simple resource‐oriented intervention to identify 11 key characteristics that we would expect to see in an evidence‐based intervention of this type. These characteristics and their underlying principles can be used to evaluate the quality of existing intervention studies and guide the design of future interventions. Second, we discuss an evidence‐based approach to reporting the process and the outcomes of interventions. Providing only limited information about an intervention means that it is difficult to replicate or use that method in practice. We describe a checklist developed in a more mature evidence‐based field (medicine) that can be used to ensure that sufficient intervention details are reported. Next, we discuss the importance of reporting all the outcomes of all interventions. Last, we consider the ways in which this approach to improving interventions is not only important scientifically and practically but also ethically. Practitioner points Although many resource‐oriented well‐being interventions are available, their effectiveness is not always known, and they may be implemented without initial diagnosis. An evidence‐based practice approach to intervention involves using local organizational evidence as well as evidence from scientific research. Before implementing an intervention, it is important to gather information from the target population to ensure, for example, that there is a significant well‐being problem and that it is amenable to change, as well as seeking out research evidence for the efficacy of the intervention. This approach is useful in terms of practice but also helps to ensure that we are working in an ethical way.