The Ideal: Innovation and Transfer

A cross the Kaiser Permanente (KP) program innovative solutions to problems are developed and implemented daily. Frequently, in program offices, in a region, in a medical center, or in other business units, these processes are identified as being successful practices and leadership encourages their transfer to other locations. Unfortunately, as in most large organizations, the frequency of transfer within KP tends to be low. Leaders recognize that in an ideal situation innovations would diffuse effortlessly across the program, resulting in consistently high performance in clinical quality, the patient care experience, and financial outcomes. The costs associated with “reinventing the wheel” would be eliminated and the “not invented here” attitude inhibiting adoption of successful practices would disappear. However, the complexity involved in transferring successful practices is often underestimated; it requires much more than knowledge of the technical aspects involved. In fact, cultural issues usually present the most significant challenges. … the complexity involved in transferring successful practices is often underestimated … cultural issues usually present the most significant challenges.