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Enabling the transferability of complex interventions: exploring the combination of an intervention’s key functions and implementation

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objectives

Several public health interventions are not described, not evaluated and not transferred. The objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of using a description model making a distinction between interventions’ transferable elements, and those that are more context-specific, to make their evaluation and transferability easier.

Methods

The theoretical distinction between an intervention function and its form in a specific context has been empirically explored. A community-based intervention (named “Ciné-Ma-Santé”) has been described, using a “key function/implementation/context” model. This process has been co-constructed through qualitative research and knowledge exchange process between project leaders and researchers from different disciplines.

Results

The use of the model proves feasible and useful for both project leaders and researchers. Nine key functions were described, as well as their implementation and the features of the intervention context.

Conclusions

Rendering explicit key functions of public health interventions could constitute a useful step to their evaluation and transfer. It enables the formulation of hypotheses regarding the potentially standardizable elements of interventions, and elements that can be modified while maintaining the integrity of the intervention.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Institut National du Cancer (INCA N° 2011-009), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-11-INEG-0003 “EVALISS”), the Agence Régionale de Santé Midi-Pyrénées (ARS), and the Fondation ARC pour la recherche sur le cancer for the PhD student MV (File n°DOC20140601025). We would like to thank the AAPRISS Scientific Committee: Franco Berrino, Pierre Blaise, Pierre Chauvin, Hercberg Serge, France Lert, Louise Potvin, and Alfred Spira.

The AAPRISS group: B Almudever, L Birelichie, E Breton, A Bulle, F Cayla, C Delpierre, P Ducournau, E Gaborit, B Gandouet, T Ginsbourger, E Godeau, A Guichard, N Haschar-Noé, M Kelly-Irving, A Lacouture, C Martin, A Mayère, P Manuello, I Poirot-Mazère, E Salaméro, M Servat, F Sicot, F Sordes-Ader, I Theis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LEASP - UMR 1027 INSERM-Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France

    Mélanie Villeval, Elsa Bidault, Pascale Grosclaude & Thierry Lang

  2. Institut Fédératif d’Etudes et de Recherches Interdisciplinaires Santé Société, Toulouse, France

    Mélanie Villeval, Elsa Bidault, Jean-Charles Basson, Jean-Paul Génolini, Pascale Grosclaude & Thierry Lang

  3. School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Jeannie Shoveller

  4. Instance Régionale d’Education et de Promotion de la Santé, Toulouse, France

    François Alias

  5. Prissmh-Soi (EA4560), Université Toulouse III, Toulouse, France

    Jean-Charles Basson & Jean-Paul Génolini

  6. Réseau de Prévention et de Prise en Charge de l’Obésité Pédiatrique Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France

    Catherine Frasse

  7. Service Communal d’Hygiène et de Santé, Toulouse, France

    Elisabeth Pons

  8. Toulouse Aviron Sports et Loisirs, Toulouse, France

    Damien Verbiguié

  9. Institut Claudius Régaud, Toulouse, France

    Pascale Grosclaude

  10. CHU, Toulouse, France

    Thierry Lang

Authors
  1. Mélanie Villeval
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  2. Elsa Bidault
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  3. Jeannie Shoveller
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  4. François Alias
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  5. Jean-Charles Basson
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  6. Catherine Frasse
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  7. Jean-Paul Génolini
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  8. Elisabeth Pons
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  9. Damien Verbiguié
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  10. Pascale Grosclaude
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  11. Thierry Lang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mélanie Villeval.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

For the AAPRISS group see “Acknowledgments”.

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Villeval, M., Bidault, E., Shoveller, J. et al. Enabling the transferability of complex interventions: exploring the combination of an intervention’s key functions and implementation. Int J Public Health 61, 1031–1038 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0809-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0809-9

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