Diffusion of Innovations in Service Organizations: Systematic Review and Recommendations

Abstract

This article summarizes an extensive literature review addressing the question, How can we spread and sustain innovations in health service delivery and organization? It considers both content (defining and measuring the diffusion of innovation in organizations) and process (reviewing the literature in a systematic and reproducible way). This article discusses (1) a parsimonious and evidence-based model for considering the diffusion of innovations in health service organizations, (2) clear knowledge gaps where further research should be focused, and (3) a robust and transferable methodology for systematically reviewing health service policy and management. Both the model and the method should be tested more widely in a range of contexts.

Factors affecting implementation of an evidence-based practice in the Veterans Health Administration: Illness management and recovery.

“…As noted by Greenhalgh and colleagues (Greenhalgh, Robert, Macfarlane, Bate, & Kyriakidou, 2004), the factors affecting implementation of a practice occur at multiple organizational levels and "interact in a complex, un-predictable, and non-generalizable way" (p. 606). Because of the complex, dynamic, and partially idiosyncratic nature of these relationships, qualitative methods can be particularly useful for examining program implementation.…”

Development and evaluation of a web-based capacity building course in the EUR-HUMAN project to support primary health care professionals in the provision of high-quality care for refugees and migrants

“…Flottorp at al [34]. categorized potential ‘determinants of practice’ into seven domains: guideline factors; individual health professional factors; patient factors; professional interactions; incentives and resources; capacity for organizational change; and social, political and legal factors [34–36]. Knowledge about factors like these, that might differ locally and between professional health care disciplines, can increase the potential of the course in optimizing health care provision.…”

Factors affecting health care workers’ adoption of a website with infection control guidelines

“…Management values [37] + Infection control nurses are the most important and adequate opinion leaders to advocate website adoption (n = 10) [38] + Ward management is the most important and adequate opinion leader in general, including for website adoption (n = 5) [39] − Opinion leaders will not influence the behavioral intentions of individual health care workers to use the website, as health care workers are self-directive (n = 8) [40] − Infection control nurses are not effective opinion leaders to promote website use, as they are not respected or listened to (as they always "bring bad news") (n = 3)…”

“…Taking into account these target groups' perceptions can contribute to the eventual success of the technology [23]. Engagement of those responsible for adoption is considered indispensable by Greenhalgh et al [40]. These authors claim that people are not passive recipients of innovations.…”