In the previous study, a checklist was developed to assess the readiness of healthcare organizations to introduce innovative medical technologies; this study continues that work.
OBJECTIVE
To perform expert validation of the checklist and assess the importance of factors of the index of innovative readiness of a healthcare organization.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The object of the expert evaluation was a checklist for assessing 17 factors that determine the readiness of a healthcare organization to introduce innovations. Sixty-five experts completed an expert questionnaire, and assessed the significance of each factor in points from 1 to 5, where 1 point was the lowest significance and 5 points was the highest. The average score for each factor, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance (W), and Cronbach alpha coefficient were calculated to determine the internal consistency of the expert questionnaire. The non-parametric Friedman test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences (threshold significance level p<0.05).
RESULTS
The factor “Readiness and interest of the management of a healthcare organization” had the highest average significance (4.133 points; the total weight coefficient was 1.160). Next in descending order of importance were “Availability of all necessary consumables” (3.933 points; total weight coefficient 1.156), “Availability of the necessary “heavy” equipment,” and “In the absence of the necessary equipment, the possibility of its acquisition within 6 to 12 months” (each received an estimate of 3.911 points; total weight coefficient 1.258). Kendall’s coefficient of concordance W was 0.29548 (p<0.000001), Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.93241. The validity of the previously proposed interpretation of the index of innovation readiness of the settings was confirmed by 56 of 65 experts (86.15%). A healthcare organization is recognized as ready to introduce innovative medical technology with an index of 8 points or more. Positive answers must be obtained for at least one item from each section, and one more positive answer should be given for any additional item. Fifty-nine (90.77%) out of 65 experts considered the proposed index of innovation readiness of the settings and the checklist for its calculation to be valid and ready for practical use.
CONCLUSION
The checklist developed and validated by experts is a new tool for planning the introduction of new medical technologies in healthcare organizations.
