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Designing and evaluating complex interventions to improve health care

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Campbell, Neil C., Murray, Elizabeth, 1962-, Darbyshire, Janet, Emery, Jon, Farmer, Andrew, Griffiths, Frances, Guthrie, Bruce, Lester, Helen, 1961-, Wilson, Phil and Kinmonth, A.-L. (Ann-Louise). (2007) Designing and evaluating complex interventions to improve health care. BMJ, Vol.334 . pp. 455-459. ISSN 0959-535X

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39108.379965.BE

Abstract

Complex interventions are “built up from a number of components, which may act both independently and interdependently.”1 2 Many health service activities should be considered as complex. Evaluating complex interventions can pose a considerable challenge and requires a substantial investment of time. Unless the trials illuminate processes and mechanisms they often fail to provide useful information. If the result is negative, we are left wondering whether the intervention is inherently ineffective (either because the intervention was inadequately developed or because all similar interventions are ineffective), whether it was inadequately applied or applied in an inappropriate context, or whether the trial used an inappropriate design, comparison groups or outcomes. If there is a positive effect, it can be hard to judge how the results of the trial might be applied to a different context (box 1).

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Medical care
Journal or Publication Title:	BMJ
Publisher:	BMJ Group
ISSN:	0959-535X
Date:	3 March 2007
Volume:	Vol.334
Page Range:	pp. 455-459
Identification Number:	10.1136/bmj.39108.379965.BE
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/3018