Medical Research Council framework for development and evaluation of complex interventions: A comprehensive guidance

Abstract

Complex intervention framework is extensively used in health service delivery, community, health and social policy, such as education, with important health outcomes. Such interventions are sensitive and flexible to the regional context and culture. Complex interventions introduce the use of two or more information sources or two or more research methods to answer a research question.[1,2] Using more than two research methods with triangulation techniques increases the validity of the research findings. Such studies are considered as mixed methods.[2] Complex intervention framework includes the steps which are not necessarily linear and there is also no clear boundary between simple and complex interventions. Such steps include plan development, feasibility and pilot, evaluation, and implementation. These steps have no linear or cyclic order.[3]