See related article by Swanson.
There are instances when simple technological fixes can have a major public health impact. For example, investments by the U.S. government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (and others) to facilitate widespread use of effective vaccines have undoubtedly made an important contribution to reducing the burden of child deaths in low-income countries. But, more commonly in global health, the deployment of an otherwise promising technology is insufficient—on its own—to produce marked improvements in outcomes in the face of real-world complexity. This is well illustrated in an article by Swanson and colleagues,1 published in this issue of Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP). The article addresses challenges experienced implementing a field trial. But it is of particular interest to …