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Can We Systematically Review Studies That Evaluate Complex Interventions?

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  • Sasha Shepperd
  • Simon Lewin
  • Sharon Straus
  • Mike Clarke
  • Martin P Eccles
  • Ray Fitzpatrick
  • Geoff Wong
  • Aziz Sheikh

Abstract

In three Viewpoints, Sasha Shepperd and colleagues, Geoff Wong, and Aziz Sheikh explore various approaches to help systematic reviewers who wish to review complex health interventions.Background to the debate: The UK Medical Research Council defines complex interventions as those comprising “a number of separate elements which seem essential to the proper functioning of the interventions although the ‘active ingredient’ of the intervention that is effective is difficult to specify.” A typical example is specialist care on a stroke unit, which involves a wide range of health professionals delivering a variety of treatments. Michelle Campbell and colleagues have argued that there are “specific difficulties in defining, developing, documenting, and reproducing complex interventions that are subject to more variation than a drug” [10]. These difficulties are one of the reasons why it is challenging for researchers to systematically review complex interventions and synthesize data from separate studies. This PLoS Medicine Debate considers the challenges facing systematic reviewers and suggests several ways of addressing them.

Suggested Citation

  • Sasha Shepperd & Simon Lewin & Sharon Straus & Mike Clarke & Martin P Eccles & Ray Fitzpatrick & Geoff Wong & Aziz Sheikh, 2009. "Can We Systematically Review Studies That Evaluate Complex Interventions?," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(8), pages 1-8, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pmed00:1000086
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000086
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    Cited by:

    1. Linda Campbell & Caroline Masquillier & Estrelle Thunnissen & Esther Ariyo & Hanani Tabana & Neo Sematlane & Anton Delport & Lorraine Tanyaradzwa Dube & Lucia Knight & Tair Kasztan Flechner & Edwin Wo, 2020. "Social and Structural Determinants of Household Support for ART Adherence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Philippa Howden-Chapman & Nathalie Roebbel & Elinor Chisholm, 2017. "Setting Housing Standards to Improve Global Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Lee, Anna & Kerridge, Ross K. & Chui, Po Tong & Chiu, Chun Hung & Gin, Tony, 2011. "Perioperative Systems as a quality model of perioperative medicine and surgical care," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(2), pages 214-222.
    4. Cisnetto, Valentina & Barlow, James, 2020. "The development of complex and controversial innovations. Genetically modified mosquitoes for malaria eradication," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(3).
    5. Samuel Boudreault & Junqiao Chen & Kevin Y. Wu & Annette Plüddemann & Carl Heneghan, 2020. "Self‐management programmes for cirrhosis: A systematic review," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(19-20), pages 3625-3637, October.
    6. Heather Munthe‐Kaas & Heid Nøkleby & Sarah Rosenbaum, 2022. "User experiences of structured stakeholder engagement to consider transferability: The TRANSFER approach," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(4), December.
    7. Mervyn Jun Rui Lim & Qi Xuan Joel Foo & Noreen Guek Cheng Chan & Samuel Miny, 2021. "PROTOCOL: Community‐based interventions for initiating early end‐of‐life conversations in nonterminally Ill adults: a systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(2), June.

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