Journal
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
Volume 340, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116394
Keywords
Pilot studies; Evidence mobilization; Innovation spread and sustainability; Innovation journey; Healthcare; Pilotitis
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This paper examines the contribution of pilot implementation studies to the wider spread and sustainability of innovation in healthcare systems. Through an empirical examination of an innovation intermediary organization in the English NHS, the study finds that their work in mobilizing pilot-based evidence involves configuring to context, transitioning evidence, and managing the transition. The findings contribute to theory by showing how intermediary roles can support the effective transitioning of pilot-based evidence, leading to more widespread adoption and sustainability of innovation.
An endemic challenge facing healthcare systems around the world is how to spread innovation more widely and sustainably. A common response to this challenge involves conducting pilot implementation studies to generate evidence of the innovation's benefits. However, despite the key role that such studies play in the local adoption of innovation, their contribution to the wider spread and sustainability of innovation is relatively underresearched and under-theorized. In this paper we examine this contribution through an empirical examination of the experiences of an innovation intermediary organization in the English NHS (National Health Service). We find that their work in mobilizing pilot-based evidence involves three main strands; configuring to context; transitioning evidence; and managing the transition. Through this analysis we contribute to theory by showing how the agency afforded by intermediary roles can support the effective transitioning of pilot-based evidence across different phases in the innovation journey, and across different occupational groups, and can thus help to create a positive feedback loop from localized early implementers of an innovation to later more widespread adoption and sustainability. Based on these findings, we develop insights on the reasons for the unnecessary repetition of pilots - so-called 'pilotitis'- and offer policy recommendations on how to enhance the role of pilots in the wider spread and sustainability of innovation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available