Cited by 133Health Policy Implementation ScienceHealthcare Systems and PracticesHealth Services Management and Policy

The unpredictable journeys of spreading, sustaining and scaling healthcare innovations: a scoping review

Open access
Côté-Boileau, Élizabeth, Denis, Jean-Louis, Callery, Bill, Sabean, Meghan·2019·Health Research Policy and Systems

Abstract

Innovation has the potential to improve the quality of care and health service delivery, but maximising the reach and impact of innovation to achieve large-scale health system transformation remains understudied. Interest is growing in three processes of the innovation journey within health systems, namely the spread, sustainability and scale-up (3S) of innovation. Recent reviews examine what we know about these processes. However, there is little research on how to support and operationalise the 3S. This study aims to improve our understanding of the 3S of healthcare innovations. We focus specifically on the definitions of the 3S, the mechanisms that underpin them, and the conditions that either enable or limit their potential. We conducted a scoping review, systematically investigating six bibliographic databases to search, screen and select relevant literature on the 3S of healthcare innovations. We screened 641 papers, then completed a full-text review of 112 identified as relevant based on title and abstract. A total of 24 papers were retained for analysis. Data were extracted and synthesised through descriptive and inductive thematic analysis. From this, we develop a framework of actionable guidance for health system actors aiming to leverage the 3S of innovation across five key areas of focus, as follows: (1) focus on the why, (2) focus on perceived-value and feasibility, (3) focus on what people do, rather than what they should be doing, (4) focus on creating a dialogue between policy and delivery, and (5) focus on inclusivity and capacity building. While there is no standardised approach to foster the 3S of healthcare innovations, a variety of practical frameworks and tools exist to support stakeholders along this journey.

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Crossref · 10.1186/s12961-019-0482-6

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  • Our experiences collaborating with rural primary healthcare teams to develop and implement the memory clinics highlighted the complex nature of the rural healthcare context and are consistent with the view of innovation as an unpredictable journey and a process of managing and supporting continuous improvement and adaptation.

    “Our experiences in collaborating with rural PHC teams to develop and implement the memory clinics have highlighted the complex nature of the rural healthcare context [51] and are consistent with the view of innovation as an unpredictable journey, and a process of managing and supporting continuous improvement and adaptation [40].”
  • It is crucial that those involved believe the innovation improves the quality of care, because their efforts to support the innovation are motivated by the added value they want to achieve.

    “A review of sustaining and scaling healthcare innovations [40] noted that it is crucial that those involved believe that the innovation improves the quality of care, as their efforts to support the innovation are motivated by the added value they want to achieve.”
  • Participants' belief that they are equipped and able to contribute to the program is key to maintaining motivation.

    “The importance of capacity-building is reinforced by Coté-Boileau et al. [40] who found that participants’ belief that they are equipped and able to contribute to the program is key to maintaining motivation.”

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2 of the 118 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [15]Slaghuis SS Riding the Waves of Quality Improvement: Sustainability and Spread in a Dutch Quality Improvement Program for Long-Term Care [PhD Thesis] 2016 Rotterdam Erasmus MC: University Medical Center
  2. [72]Massoud MR Nielsen GA Nolan K Schall MW Sevin C A Framework for Spread: From Local Improvements to System-Wide Change. In: IHI Innovation Series white paper 2006 Cambridge, MA Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  3. [77]What Works Scotland What Works Scotland Evidence Review: Scaling-Up Innovations 2015
  4. [90]Edwards N Scaling-up Health Innovations and Interventions in Public Health: A Brief Review of the Current State-of-the-Science 2010 1 45
  5. [110]Hayes C The Highly Adaptable Improvement Model. Toronto: Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Collaborative Workshop, Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement 2016

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Authors
Côté-Boileau, É., Denis, J.-L., Callery, B., & Sabean, M.
Affiliations
  • Université de Sherbrooke (CA)
  • Université de Montréal (CA)
  • Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CA)
Corresponding author
Côté-Boileau, Élizabeth
Venue
Health Research Policy and Systems
Published
2019-09-13
Volume
17
Issue
1
Pages
84-84
ISSN
1478-4505 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2972745945
Cited by
133
References
118
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1
FWCI
2.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Health Research Policy and Systems (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare Systems and Practices
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Services Management and Policy
Keywords
healthcare innovation, diffusion of innovations, innovation sustainability, health system transformation, innovation framework, perceived value, feasibility, inclusivity, capacity building, health system actors
MeSH terms
Delivery of Health Care, Diffusion of Innovation, Quality Improvement

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