Symposium: Developing effective complex interventions

Citation

France E, Farquharson B, Hoskins G, Wells M & Duncan E (2016) Symposium: Developing effective complex interventions. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) international nursing research conference, 08.04.2016-08.04.2016.

Abstract
This symposium presents examples of real-life challenges and solutions facing researchers and clinicians as they attempt to design effective, acceptable and feasible behaviour change interventions relating to nursing and allied health professional (AHP) practice. Changing health behaviour is challenging. Interventions delivered by nurses and AHPs tend to be complex. The Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for the development of complex interventions regards it as best practice ‘to develop interventions systematically, using the best available evidence and appropriate theory’ [1, p. 8]. Theoretically-based interventions - drawing on existing evidence, theory and, if necessary, new primary research - are more likely to be successful than those which are not [1]. The MRC also recommends modelling of complex interventions prior to definitive evaluation. The five papers presented in this symposium address some of the challenges for complex nursing and AHP intervention development. We present diverse examples from recent feasibility projects for a range of patient groups and a new framework for describing complex interventions. Papers 1 , 2 and 3 describe developing theoretically-based audio-visual behaviour change interventions for adults with Acute Coronary Syndrome, young people with asthma, and parents of children with cystic fibrosis respectively. Paper 1 presents a systematic method of selecting and embedding behaviour change techniques into an intervention to reduce treatment delay. Paper 2 focuses on creating and feasibility testing an intervention to increase engagement in physical activity. Paper 3 describes an online action research approach with families and clinicians to co-develop an intervention to increase chest physiotherapy adherence. Paper 4 describes development of an intervention to improve swallowing difficulties in adults with head and neck cancer. Paper 5 presents a framework for communicating and describing interventions to facilitate their future replicability. The symposium offers insights into a range of methodological approaches and solutions for developing and communicating complex interventions. https://www.rcn.org.uk/-/media/royal-college-of-nursing/documents/professional-development/research/previous-research-conferences/2016-research-book-of-abstracts.pdf, pp. 102-105