The Rutgers Integrated Care Evaluation (RICE) Research Framework: An Innovative and Rigorous Set of Methods to Evaluate Integrated Care Programs.

Introduction: Integrated care programs that prioritize comprehensive service delivery for behavioural health and medical conditions have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Few programs, however, use data-driven methods to guide program evaluation and implementation, limiting their effectiveness, as well as the scope of findings in the research literature. Purpose: To address these gaps, we describe an innovative and rigorous evaluative research framework: the Rutgers Integrated Care Evaluation (RICE) Research Framework, designed to be tailorable across conditions and care settings. Method: The RICE Research Framework is guided by two core concepts: (1) an approach built on engaging as equal partners and (2) data source triangulation. For the former, the approach relies on multiple teams (Project, Clinical Site, Evaluation, and Consumer) working in collaboration. While teams have specific roles, all teams engage frequently as equal partners to facilitate performance and advance research deliverables. For the latter, we provide a template with recommended primary and secondary data sources with areas of focus, applicable methods, and samples. These sources, when used in combination, can guide implementation, advance replicability, develop/refine health care programs, and foster dissemination of scientific findings. Conclusions: We recommend clinicians and scientists implement the RICE Research Framework to enhance their integrated care programs.