TY - JOUR

T1 - AHRQ Series on Complex Intervention Systematic Reviews - Paper 2

T2 - Defining Complexity, Formulating Scope and Questions

AU - Kelly, Michael P

AU - Noyes, Jane

AU - Kane, Robert L

AU - Chang, Christine

AU - Uhl, Stacey

AU - Robinson, Karen A

AU - Springs, Stacey

AU - Butler, Mary E

AU - Guise, Jeanne-Marie

N1 - This work was funded by the following contract HHSA290201200004C

PY - 2017/10

Y1 - 2017/10

N2 - BACKGROUND: The early stages of a systematic review set the scope and expectations. This can be particularly challenging for complex interventions given their multi-dimensional and dynamic nature.RATIONALE: This paper builds on concepts introduced in Paper 1 of this series. It describes the methodological, practical and philosophical challenges and potential approaches for formulating the questions and scope of systematic reviews of complex interventions. Further it discusses the use of theory to help organize reviews of complex interventions.DISCUSSION: Many interventions in medicine, public health, education, social services, behavioral health, and community programs are complex, and they may not fit neatly within the established paradigm for reviews of straight-forward interventions. This paper provides conceptual and operational guidance for these early stages of scope formulation to assist authors of systematic reviews of complex interventions.

AB - BACKGROUND: The early stages of a systematic review set the scope and expectations. This can be particularly challenging for complex interventions given their multi-dimensional and dynamic nature.RATIONALE: This paper builds on concepts introduced in Paper 1 of this series. It describes the methodological, practical and philosophical challenges and potential approaches for formulating the questions and scope of systematic reviews of complex interventions. Further it discusses the use of theory to help organize reviews of complex interventions.DISCUSSION: Many interventions in medicine, public health, education, social services, behavioral health, and community programs are complex, and they may not fit neatly within the established paradigm for reviews of straight-forward interventions. This paper provides conceptual and operational guidance for these early stages of scope formulation to assist authors of systematic reviews of complex interventions.

KW - Complex interventions

KW - Evidence-Based Medicine

KW - Review Literature as Topic

KW - Systematic review

KW - Qualitative Research

KW - Research Design

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.06.012

DO - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.06.012

M3 - Article

C2 - 28720514

VL - 90

SP - 11

EP - 18

JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

SN - 0895-4356

IS - October

ER -