Table 6 Summary of recommendations

Recommendations for process evaluation design

• Consider the identified potential values of process evaluation within pragmatic RCTs and how these may be realised and articulated to stakeholders

• We encourage debate about the meaning of the label ‘process evaluation’ and how it may be more consistently applied

Recommendations for process evaluation conduct

• Consider the identified barriers and facilitators and how to address these when conducting process evaluations in health services settings

Recommendations for process evaluation dissemination

• Ensure process evaluation publications are included in the trial registry entry

• Ensure process evaluations are mentioned in journal articles reporting the parent trial, and consider adding this item to relevant CONSORT checklists

• Ensure process evaluation publications name or refer to the parent trial in the title or abstract

• Publish strategies for conducting successful process evaluations and addressing challenges in health services settings, such as to recruiting process evaluation participants and collecting data