Table 2.

Examples of theories proposed or applied in disinvestment-related projects

Theory	Purpose	Context
Decision-making theory	To guide resource allocation decisions	Health service delivery organisations [16]
Deliberative democratic theory Deliberation theory	To capture stakeholder perspectives	Assisted Reproductive Technologies [15, 18] Pathology testing for vitamin B12 and folate [15]
	To underpin patient involvement	Priority setting healthcare improvement [13]
Social constructionist theory	To inform data analysis	Pathology testing for vitamin B12 and folate [15]
Resource allocation theory	To refine arguments in funding debate	Assisted Reproductive Technologies [14]
Prioritisation and quality improvement theories	To develop a proposal for rationalisation, prioritisation and rationing	Assisted Reproductive Technologies [17]