Table 1.

Description of the Medical Research Council framework and the Centre for eHealth Research roadmap.

Phase	Medical Research Council framework	Centre for eHealth Research roadmap
Development	Single phase Identifying evidence base (eg, systematic review) Identifying or developing theory (eg, scope existing theories and interviewing stakeholders) Modeling process and outcomes (eg, undertaking a pretrial economic evaluation, focus groups, surveys, and case studies)	Multiple phases such as contextual inquiry, value specification, and design Identifying problems and needs of intended users (eg, literature review, field observations, interviews, and workshops) Determining the most favorable solutions based on the values of the stakeholders Building prototypes to fit values and user requirements (eg, focus groups and field testing)
Feasibility and piloting	Specific phase for feasibility and piloting Activities consist of testing procedures for acceptability, determining appropriate sample size, and estimating rates of recruitment	N/Aa (can be part of the design phase)
Evaluation	Assessing clinical and cost-effectiveness (eg, randomized controlled trial) Understanding processes (process evaluation)	Summative evaluation Assessment of the impact of eHealth technologies in clinical, organizational, and behavioral terms
Implementation	Getting evidence into practice Surveillance, monitoring, and long-term outcomes	Operationalization Activities to introduce, adopt, and employ the technology in practice (eg, creating a business model)

^aN/A: not applicable.