Table 8 |
| Key dimensions of complex interventions |
| 1. Principles/purpose/function - what the intervention is designed to do |
| 2. Target of intervention - is this direct or indirect (that is, does intervention depend on different people/steps to have an impact on target) |
| 3. Structure and architecture - what elements are included and how are they put together (that is, components, steps, order) |
| 4. Theory behind the links between target, structure and purpose (that is, links between 1, 2 and 3) |
| 5. Crucial/central components or defining features (take note, may be an interaction or encompassing element of the bundled intervention) |
| 6. Level of flexibility/tailoring and at what level (that is, tailored to individual, to practitioner, to clinical area) |
| 7. Degree of active participation required from patients/target group |
| 8. Factors that may encourage participation, compliance or uptake from patient/target group |
| 9. Dependence on healthcare professionals - level of input required and at what stages/steps of intervention |
| 10. Number of healthcare professionals required - discrepancies between them |
| 11. Essential characteristics/attributes of healthcare professionals necessary for intervention - skills, knowledge, time, resources, affinity or preference for intervention |
| 12. Location(s) - single, multiple, mixed, home/hospital/primary care, across boundaries |
| 13. Time span - overall timing of intervention, including relationship between recruitment and intervention start/finish, relationship between intervention and timing of illness or critical event, relationship between intervention and outcome measurement |
| 14. Timing of intervention components within structure/architecture of intervention - that is, duration, intervals between, number of sessions |
| 15. Organisational pre-requisites - practitioners, settings, organisational support, organisational structure. |
Wells et al. Trials 2012 13:95 doi:10.1186/1745-6215-13-95
