Table 1 Summary of studies represented in this paper

Cluster randomised trial (CRT) to evaluate an intervention package to enhance health facility care for malaria and febrile illnesses in children.

1) Cross-sectional community surveys; 2) cohort study of children; 3) patient exit interviews; 4) health centre surveillance; 5) key informant in-depth interviews (IDIs) and questionnaires; 6) community focus group discussions (FGDs).

CRT to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) following the introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for the home-management of malaria at the community level.

1) Blood slide readings to assess appropriateness of treatment; 2) follow-up household and morbidity surveys 3) FGDs and IDIs with community medicine distributors and community members.

CRT to evaluate the impact of introduction of RDTs to drug shops on the improvement of rational drug use for case management of malaria.

1) Blood slide readings to assess appropriateness of treatment; 2) follow-up household surveys; 3) FGDs with drug vendors, carers and health workers; 4) adverse event surveillance.

Before-and-after observational evaluation of interventions to increase access to RDTs in public facilities and to ACTs in public and private facilities.

1) Household, health facility and outlet surveys; 2) post-intervention key informant interviews; 3) mixed qualitative methods including mapping exercises; rapid assessments of communities, IDIs and FGDs.

CRT to evaluate basic and enhanced provider interventions to improve malaria diagnosis and appropriate use of ACTs in public and mission health facilities.

1) Intervention delivery evaluation (questionnaires, stocking records); 2) patient exit survey; 3) analysis of facility records and facility audit; 4) provider survey.

CRT to evaluate provider & community interventions to improve malaria diagnosis using RDTs and appropriate use of ACTs in public health facilities and private sector medicine retailers.

1) Intervention delivery evaluation (questionnaires, stocking records, records of school-based intervention); 2) patient exit survey; 3) analysis of facility records and facility audit; 4) provider survey; 5) household survey.

Individually randomised trial (IRT) and CRT evaluating an intervention to improve diagnosis and appropriate treatment of malaria with RDTs at health clinic level, and among community health workers.

1) Clinic based data collection; 2) entry and exit interviews with patients; 3) IDIs with health workers; 4) data collected from community health workers.

CRT evaluating health worker and patient oriented interventions to improve uptake of RDTs and adherence to results in primary health facilities.

1) Health facility data collection; 2) patient exit interviews; 3) intervention delivery evaluation (observations, questionnaires, IDIs); 4) follow-up household survey; 5) IDIs with health workers.

IRT to evaluate an intervention to introduce RDTs to health facilities to improve diagnosis and appropriate treatment of malaria.

1) IDIs with health workers; 2) FGDs with community members. Conducted via a separately funded project: 3) blood slide reading to assess appropriateness of treatment; 4) health facility-based data collection; 5) follow-up household survey.