TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining intervention design
T2 - Lessons from the development of eight related malaria health care intervention studies
AU - Chandler, Clare I.R.
AU - Burchett, Helen
AU - Boyle, Louise
AU - Achonduh, Olivia
AU - Mbonye, Anthony
AU - Diliberto, Deborah
AU - Reyburn, Hugh
AU - Onwujekwe, Obinna
AU - Haaland, Ane
AU - Roca-Feltrer, Arantxa
AU - Baiden, Frank
AU - Mbacham, Wilfred F.
AU - Ndyomugyenyi, Richard
AU - Nankya, Florence
AU - Mangham-Jefferies, Lindsay
AU - Clarke, Sian
AU - Mbakilwa, Hilda
AU - Reynolds, Joanna
AU - Lal, Sham
AU - Leslie, Toby
AU - Maiteki-Sebuguzi, Catherine
AU - Webster, Jayne
AU - Magnussen, Pascal
AU - Ansah, Evelyn
AU - Hansen, Kristian S.
AU - Hutchinson, Eleanor
AU - Cundill, Bonnie
AU - Yeung, Shunmay
AU - Schellenberg, David
AU - Staedke, Sarah G.
AU - Wiseman, Virginia
AU - Lalloo, David G.
AU - Whitty, Christopher J.M.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - —Rigorous evidence of “what works” to improve health care is in demand, but methods for the development of interventions have not been scrutinized in the same ways as methods for evaluation. This article presents and examines intervention development processes of eight malaria health care interventions in East and West Africa. A case study approach was used to draw out experiences and insights from multidisciplinary teams who undertook to design and evaluate these studies. Four steps appeared necessary for intervention design: (1) definition of scope, with reference to evaluation possibilities; (2) research to inform design, including evidence and theory reviews and empirical formative research; (3) intervention design, including consideration and selection of approaches and development of activities and materials; and (4) refining and finalizing the intervention, incorporating piloting and pretesting. Alongside these steps, projects produced theories, explicitly or implicitly, about (1) intended pathways of change and (2) how their intervention would be implemented. The work required to design interventions that meet and contribute to current standards of evidence should not be underestimated. Furthermore, the process should be recognized not only as technical but as the result of micro and macro social, political, and economic contexts, which should be acknowledged and documented in order to infer generalizability. Reporting of interventions should go beyond descriptions of final intervention components or techniques to encompass the development process. The role that evaluation possibilities play in intervention design should be brought to the fore in debates over health care improvement.
AB - —Rigorous evidence of “what works” to improve health care is in demand, but methods for the development of interventions have not been scrutinized in the same ways as methods for evaluation. This article presents and examines intervention development processes of eight malaria health care interventions in East and West Africa. A case study approach was used to draw out experiences and insights from multidisciplinary teams who undertook to design and evaluate these studies. Four steps appeared necessary for intervention design: (1) definition of scope, with reference to evaluation possibilities; (2) research to inform design, including evidence and theory reviews and empirical formative research; (3) intervention design, including consideration and selection of approaches and development of activities and materials; and (4) refining and finalizing the intervention, incorporating piloting and pretesting. Alongside these steps, projects produced theories, explicitly or implicitly, about (1) intended pathways of change and (2) how their intervention would be implemented. The work required to design interventions that meet and contribute to current standards of evidence should not be underestimated. Furthermore, the process should be recognized not only as technical but as the result of micro and macro social, political, and economic contexts, which should be acknowledged and documented in order to infer generalizability. Reporting of interventions should go beyond descriptions of final intervention components or techniques to encompass the development process. The role that evaluation possibilities play in intervention design should be brought to the fore in debates over health care improvement.
KW - Africa
KW - Complex intervention design
KW - Evidence based public health
KW - Implementation science
KW - Malaria
U2 - 10.1080/23288604.2016.1179086
DO - 10.1080/23288604.2016.1179086
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85062559738
SN - 2328-8604
VL - 2
SP - 373
EP - 388
JO - Health systems and reform
JF - Health systems and reform
IS - 4
ER -
