A discussion with Dr. Simon Bacon
The course "Improving Quality and Reducing Waste in the Designing and Testing of Interventions Targeting Physical Activity, Diet, and Other Health Risk Behaviours", presented by Dr. Simon Bacon, takes an interdisciplinary approach to uncover the mechanisms driving everyday human behaviors and to design effective strategies for positive change. Grounded in the ORBIT development model and illustrated with real-world examples such as the Look AHEAD trial, this session guides participants from formulating a clinically meaningful question through feasibility and pilot testing. Emphasis is placed on rigorous methodology, stakeholder engagement, and precise measurement of target behaviors.
What you will learn
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define behavioral science and distinguish it from clinical psychology.
- Identify the essential components of a behavior change intervention (Behavior Change Techniques, delivery mode, implementation context).
- Describe each stage of the ORBIT model from question identification and theoretical grounding to proof-of-concept and pilot studies.
- Recognize common development challenges (implementation barriers, measurement gaps, design shortcomings) and apply best-practice recommendations.
- Analyze a practical case study to extract key lessons for building robust interventions.
Addressed to
- Researchers and students in behavioral science, psychology, and related disciplines
- Healthcare professionals and clinicians designing or evaluating behavior change programs
- Project managers and coordinators of public health interventions
- Implementation science research teams
- Wellness and prevention program leaders seeking evidence-based frameworks
.png)
