An Improvement Engine for empowered change in healthcare

Journal article, 2013

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to describe how an Improvement Engine methodology, based on self-assessment and everyone's involvement, can be used in order to stimulate change and what experience and results it can generate. Design/methodology/approach – This article describes how an Improvement Engine was developed and used at Sahlgrenska University Hospital to stimulate change and what experience and results it generated. The principles behind the methodology were everyone's involvement, self-assessment, incremental change and learning. The data were collected in interviews and analysed using a content analysis approach. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were analysed and mapped to context, content, process and output. Findings – The evaluation shows that the Improvement Engine methodology has advantages concerning involvement and dialogue but needs improvement in terms of information about the project. Practical implications – Examples of how the Improvement Engine can be applied are discussed. Originality/value – The intention is to shed light on what kind of issues managers must deal with when they try to stimulate change in a healthcare setting. The Improvement Engine methodology developed and used shows that the empowerment approach is a promising avenue for change in healthcare.