Exploration of barriers and facilitators to engaging with healthcare innovation

Background Health care providers (HCPs) are well-placed to provide critically needed innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. Research on healthcare innovation predominantly focuses on examining the adoption phase of innovation, with little focus on important preceding factors, including HCPs’ perspectives on engaging with the process innovation in healthcare. Aims The current study used relevant models of behaviour change (the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behaviour (COM-B) model of behaviour change and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)) to explore the barriers and facilitators to engaging with healthcare innovation among HCPs in the Irish health service to support recommendations for fostering environments that inspire innovation. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 HCPs who had previously been awardees of an innovation contest within the Irish health service. A deductive content analysis approach was used to classify and code the interview data using the domains of the TDF. Results The current study suggests that HCPs’ engagement with innovation in the Irish context is spurred by a range of facilitators; notably, social influences, social roles and identity, and reinforcement. Significant barriers included a lack of time and discordance with organisational culture. Conclusions Potential solutions including the provision of protected time for innovation activity and establishing local innovation champions warrant consideration to better support environments that inspire innovation and help shape improvements in practice. Future research ought to consider the use of quantitative methodology to examine innovation behaviour at a broader level.