Change and Innovation in Healthcare: Findings from Literature

Abstract

Background:Change is an ongoing process in any organizations. Over years, healthcare organizations have been exposed to multiple external stimuli to change (eg, ageing population, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, ongoing Sars-Cov-2 pandemic) that pointed out the need to convert the current healthcare organizational model. Nowadays, the topic is extremely relevant, rendering organizational change an urgency. The work is structured on a double level of analysis. In the beginning, the paper collects the overall literature on the topic of organisational change in order to identify, on the basis of the citation network, the main existing theoretical approaches. Secondly, the analysis attempts to isolate the scientific production related to the healthcare context, by analysing the body of literature outside the identified citation network, divided by clusters of related studies. Methodology: This review adopted a quantitative-based method that employs jointly systematic literature review and bibliographic network analysis. Specifically, the study applied a citation network analysis (CNA) and a co-occurrence keywords analysis. The CNA allowed detecting the most relevant papers published over time, identifying the research streams in literature. Results: The study showed four main findings. Firstly, consistent with past studies, works reviewed pointed out a convergence on the micro-level perspective for change's analysis. Secondly, an organic viewpoint whereby individual, organization and change's outcome contribute to any organizational change's action has been found in its early stage. Thirdly, works reported change combined with innovation's concept, although the structure of the relationship has not been outlined. Fourth, interestingly, contributions have been limited within the healthcare context. Conclusion: Human dimension is the primary criticality to be managed to impede failure of the re-organizational path. Individuals are not passive recipients of change: individual change acceptance has been found a key input. Few papers discussed healthcare professionals' behaviour, and those available focused on technology-led changes perspective. In this view, individual acceptance of change within the healthcare context resulted being undeveloped and offers rooms for further analyses.

Key success factors for the implementation of quality management systems in developing countries

“…A high level of readiness for change is crucial to the implementation of any organisational change, 56 including in the medical sphere, 57 , 58 and medical laboratories are no exception. The starting point of QMS implementation and laboratory quality improvement should be sufficient preparation for the implementation initiative.…”

“… 26 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 37 , 41 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 53 Our results correspond to the findings of other studies that have recognised the psychological aspect of organisational changes and individual change acceptance as key components of success in healthcare innovation. 57 , 58 …”

Evidence to Practice for Mental Health Task-Sharing: Understanding Readiness for Change among Accredited Social Health Activists in Sehore District, Madhya Pradesh, India

“…Consequently, when this change is actively introduced, it may produce negative feelings among the CHWs, ranging from resentment, low motivation, preference for stability, to insecurity, ultimately leading to inadequate levels of engagement with the change intervention (Armenakis et al, 1993;Jones et al, 2008). Previous research has shown higher individual-level readiness for change to be associated with higher levels of initiative and cooperation that ultimately supports the successful implementation of change (George & Jones, 2001;Milella et al, 2021). Moreover, studies have found that knowledge-and skills-based training alone was insufficient in improving CHWs' performance in implementing health care services (Charlson et al, 2019;Heller et al, 2019;Rowe et al, 2018).…”

Information Technology in Health-Care Systems and Primary Health Care

“…All these tendencies have highlighted an indisputable truth: to properly solve all these issues and to ensure coordination, connectivity, continuity and accountability, radical changes are needed in the health care system. If we carefully examine the above factors, it is clear that each of them is, in essence, driven by the need to improve the quality, limit the costs of health care, and improve the access of individuals in need to the health care system [1], [2]. All these factors increase the need for information for all actors involved, such as health-care staff at every level of the health-care system (tertiary, secondary, and primary), as well as for managers of health organizations and the health system in general, societies of health insurance, but also for patients or users of the health-care system.…”

“…All these factors increase the need for information for all actors involved, such as health-care staff at every level of the health-care system (tertiary, secondary, and primary), as well as for managers of health organizations and the health system in general, societies of health insurance, but also for patients or users of the health-care system. This is because, to improve the quality of health care, to identify interventions or cost-effective measures and to make decisions of a strategic nature, it is necessary to have available data related to clinical activity and results, as well as related to procedures and administrative aspects of health care; the need for such data is only increasing due to the increasing pressure on the health system to provide high-quality health care at a reasonable cost [1], [2].…”