Acceptance of Process Innovations in Hospitals: Insights from the German Arthroplasty Register

Abstract

Process innovations in hospitals are of particular relevance because they have the potential to improve quality of care and patient safety, among other aspects. To ensure their success, a high level of employee acceptance of the innovation is required. This study analyzes the factors influencing the acceptance of process innovations in hospitals based on the introduction of the German Arthroplasty Register. The German Arthroplasty Register is an extensive database containing information about a frequently performed surgery in German hospitals---artificial hip and knee joint replacements. The introduction of the register requires process changes within existing hospital structures. Interviewers conducted semi-structured interviews with 47 employees in 20 hospitals, which had recently introduced the German Arthroplasty Register. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, and qualitative content analysis was applied to the systematic text analysis. Results suggest that three major factors influence process-innovation acceptance in hospitals: (1) organizational factors, (2) project-related factors, and (3) people-related factors.