Supplementary Table 1. Programme Theories (PTs) identified during the Rapid Realist Review PT 1
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A rapid realist review surfaces seven programme theories explaining what makes health interventions work — revealing how system design, often ignored, may be the most powerful lever of all.
Realist EvaluationProgramme TheorySystems ThinkingImplementation Science
Theory Briefing
- A Rapid Realist Review identified seven Programme Theories explaining how and why health interventions succeed or fail in context.
- System Design emerged as a surprise theory — not from initial hypotheses but solely from the literature — suggesting structural factors are often overlooked.
- Realist synthesis moves beyond 'does it work?' to 'what works, for whom, and under what conditions?' — a framework with major policy implications.