An exploratory study on attributes and benefits of innovation in academic medical centers: Evidence from Careggi University Hospital

The significance of investigating innovation in academic medical centers has been underscored, as they are recognized as leaders in frontline innovation and accelerators of healthcare advancement. The factors that contribute to innovation success, particularly those associated with benefits, can be identified by examining innovation attributes in relation to innovation process stages. This study aimed to understanding the innovation process by identifying the key factors that characterize innovation and their outcomes in academic medical centers. The central research questions were: what are the main attributes of innovation in an academic medical center? and which innovation attributes influence the outcomes of innovation in an academic medical center? Clinical directors from one academic medical center in Italy, Careggi University Hospital, responded to a questionnaire. Exploratory factor and regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. The findings highlighted the crucial role of middle managers in promoting and developing significant high-quality innovations. Our study deepens the innovation attribute framework and enables a better understanding of the relationship between attributes and benefits in the healthcare context. From a practical perspective, our study equips academic medical center administrators with a tool to evaluate innovation attributes and their relationship with outcomes, enabling better leverage of the potential benefits.