All the Mistakes I Made: Critical Reflections on Applying Intervention Mapping in the Real World

Abstract

Intervention Mapping is the most comprehensive approach to systematic behavior change but applying Intervention Mapping can been daunting. In this paper, I discuss the mistakes I made when applying Intervention Mapping in the design, implementation, and evaluation of an intervention aiming to reduce stigma related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in health care settings in the Netherlands. For each of the six steps in Intervention Mapping, I discuss what the step entails, how that step was navigated in our project, outputs from that step, and, importantly lessons learned. I finish with overarching lessons learned.