COMBINE EBIs: A novel COllaborative Method for Building INterventions from Existing Evidence-Based Interventions

Combining evidence-based interventions (EBIs) is a discrete process from adapting EBIs, and specific guidance for how to combine EBIs could be helpful amidst the proliferation of frameworks that combine and stage EBIs and calls for services to be combined or bundled. To address this gap, we developed and applied the COllaborative Method for Building INterventions from Existing Evidence-Based Interventions (COMBINE-EBIs) approach, a five-step process for combining EBIs.

The five steps of COMBINE-EBIs are: (1) Identify and Select EBIs, (2) Develop a Shared Conceptual Model, (3) Evaluate the Conceptual Model, (4) Create a Single Combined Protocol, and (5) Refine through Further Input.

We developed and applied the 5-step COMBINE-EBIs process to build a fully refined, pre-tested, combined multi-component intervention that leverages intrinsic social network support and mHealth technology to support people with HIV who drink heavily improve HIV care outcomes and reduce alcohol use.

COMBINE-EBIs is a rigorous, systematic and efficient approach for building multi-component, multi-modal interventions to address multiple, co-occurring health behaviors simultaneously. COMBINE-EBIs is a resource efficient approach that could facilitate the creation of additional multi-component interventions to address complex, co-occurring health conditions synergistically. Future research should evaluate the feasibility and utility of COMBINE-EBIs, including where adaptations are needed to maximize utility.