INNOVATION STRATEGIES ON PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN WEST POKOT COUNTY, KENYA

This research project examined how innovation strategies affect the performance of public hospitals in Kenya, specifically in the case of West Pokot County. Although quantifying the effects of innovation can be challenging due to the challenges in isolating and evaluating it, it has gotten a lot of attention. The ability to innovate is critical for every company that aspires to achieve and sustain a competitive edge in the market. Furthermore, healthcare companies are increasingly dependent on innovation in order to maintain their competitive edge and provide patients with fresh therapeutic options. There is a surprising lack of knowledge on the nature of innovation in healthcare and its connection to performance. Focusing on West Pokot County Public Hospitals, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between innovation strategies and performance within the healthcare setting, taking into consideration the unique characteristics of the healthcare industry. Specifically, this study aimed to: establish the effects of product innovation; organizational innovation, process innovation; and market innovation on such performance. A descriptive research design was used throughout this examination. A total of 145 participants drawn at random from three public hospitals made up the research's target responder pool, and the study's methodology was stratified random selection. As the major instrument for the research, open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires will be used to gather the necessary primary data. These questionnaires were sent to participants on an individual basis using the drop-and-pick approach. A study of the data was performed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. Data were given in the form of charts and tables. The study results revealed that combined effect of product innovation strategy, organizational innovation strategy, process innovation and market innovation strategy significantly accounted for 65.5% variation in the performance of public hospitals in Kenya, specifically in the case of West Pokot County. The study concluded that innovation strategies have significant effect on the performance of public hospitals in Kenya, specifically in the case of West Pokot County. The study recommended that there's a need for the management of hospitals to improve communication channels to ensure clearer understanding of the sector's initiatives and their impact on innovation-driven competitiveness. Promoting patient-centric approaches is essential, therefore, public hospitals management should actively engage with patients to understand their needs and preferences, and tailor market innovation strategies accordingly. KEY WORDS: Innovation Strategies, Performance, Public Hospitals, Product innovation, Organizational innovation, Process innovation, Market innovation