Developing and evaluating complex interventions: the new Medical Research Council guidance

Developing complex interventions for nursing: a critical review of key guidelines.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To identify the most comprehensive approach to developing complex interventions for nursing research and practice. BACKGROUND The majority of research in nursing is descriptive and exploratory in nature. There is an increasing professional and political demand for nurses to develop and provide evidence to support their practices. Nurses need to explore current practice and...

Realist complex intervention science: Applying realist principles across all phases of the Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions

The integration of realist evaluation principles within randomised controlled trials ('realist RCTs') enables evaluations of complex interventions to answer questions about what works, for whom and under what circumstances. This allows evaluators to better develop and refine mid-level programme theories. However, this is only one phase in the process of developing and evaluating complex interve...

Using natural experiments to evaluate population health interventions: new Medical Research Council guidance.

Natural experimental studies are often recommended as a way of understanding the health impact of policies and other large scale interventions. Although they have certain advantages over planned experiments, and may be the only option when it is impossible to manipulate exposure to the intervention, natural experimental studies are more susceptible to bias. This paper introduces new guidance fr...

Process evaluation of complex interventions: a summary of Medical Research Council guidance

How can pilot work optimally inform surgical RCTs? A review of current evidence

Background Medical Research Council guidance for evaluating complex interventions like surgery, recommends that pilot work should precede randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methodological considerations pilot work could address include intervention complexity and adherence, education of surgeons on research methodology and recruitment, logistics of co-ordination and feasibility of collaborati...