Table 1 Contextual factor categories and examples
Contextual factor category | Examples of contextual factors to consider |
|---|---|
Patient/client level | • Are there any epidemiological features or other features of the patient/client population that could affect equity of access, effectiveness, or appropriateness of the proposed intervention(s)? • Are there cultural elements that may enhance or detract from the expected effectiveness of the studied intervention? |
Service/site design level | • How will any features of the site(s) of the proposed intervention affect its effectiveness or cost-effectiveness? • Is the design of the services feasible in the context of the existing infrastructure in some or all of the province’s regional health authorities? |
Human resources | • Are there Health Human Resource (HHR) gaps? Does the province have the required number of appropriately trained and qualified practitioners to provide the service(s) in question? • Are there any alternative staffing arrangements or training options that could fill these HHR gaps? |
Organization of health services | • Will the organization of existing front-line health services accommodate or conflict with the intervention/approach? • Can the existing management organization incorporate the intervention or will a significant reconfiguration be required? |
Other departments/sectors | • Does the intervention require information, data or action from other government departments or provincial organizations, and will that information, data, or action be readily available? • Does the intervention require resources that are controlled by other government departments, other governments, or provincial non-governmental organizations? |
Economic | • Are the existing financial incentives in the province consistent with the requirements of the studied intervention(s)? • How will the distribution of incomes affect the feasibility of delivering the studied intervention(s)? |
Political | • What are the public/media expectations for the intervention? Are they realistic? • Is an intervention required as the result of a governmental decision or political pressure? |