The role of organizational changes and innovations among hospitals in years 2017-2019 in the European hospitals: Scoping Review
Creators: name: Kowalska-Bobko, Iwona
name: Piotrowska, Karolina
name: Furman, Maciej
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Business
subject: Medicine and Health Sciences
subject: Life Sciences
subject: #innovation
subject: #organizational
subject: #healthcare
subject: #Europe

description: The aim of our study was to explore organizational innovations made in hospitals in years 2017-2019 in Europe in accordance with the Scoping Review procedure. The analysis of the indicated years resulted from the need to identify organizational innovations before the Covid-19 pandemic. We selected articles in four databases: MEDLINE/PUBMED, Embase, Cochrane Collaboration, Web of Science. To explore all fields of organizational innovations in healthcare the following research questions were formulated: Q1: How do the organizational innovations presented in this Scoping Review affect the functioning of hospital facilities? Q2: How do the innovations presented in the Scoping Review contribute to increasing patients’ safety? Q3: How does the research presented in the Scoping Review affect the organization of healthcare facilities? Q4: How do the organizational innovations presented in the Scoping Review change selected hospitals? Q5: How does the research presented in the Scoping Review combine medical innovations with organizational innovations? Methods A scoping review methodology was chosen in order to deepen research activity in the field of organizational technologies in hospitals without impact of Covid-19 pandemic crisis. The scoping review approach was used as it allows for various study designs to be included and their findings synthetized. During the study, methodological stages outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and further defined by Levac et. al. were followed. They include: 1. Identifying research questions. 2. Identifying relevant studies. 3. Study selections. 4. Charting the data. 5. Collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. The analysis of articles was conducted by phrases related to health technologies: Hospital innovations AND hospital investment AND Hospital New Technologies in Europe in four databases: PUBMED/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Collaboration, Web of Science (WoS). The research were conducted in November 2022 by search in three databases (PUBMED/Medline, Embase, Cochrane Collaboration) with adding the studies from Web of Science database in February 2023. The study was minimized to years 2017-2019 and restricted only to English language. The articles regarding organizational change in hospitals, specific departments, improvement into those departments, innovations and investments in hospitals, as well as research based on interviews with hospital management/healthcare professionals, management changes, research related to quality, patients’ safety, mhealth applications at the hospitals (ehealth solutions at the hospital care), patients’ diagnostics pathways, the role of medical staff on organizational changes, new treatment methods regarding organizational issues were taken into account. Discussion The organizational change introduced in hospitals can positively affect patient safety, for example, by improving the ergonomics of medical staff, thereby reducing the risk of occupational accidents. Hospitals that invest in modern solutions can increase work efficiency while minimizing costs and the risk of medical errors. Innovative organizational changes in hospitals also have a major impact on improving patient flow. Implementing new solutions and procedures allows better management of healthcare processes, resulting in shorter waiting times for hospital admissions, shorter hospital stays and faster access to appropriate specialists. As a result, patients receive faster and more efficient care, and the process is more organized and safer . Organizational changes in hospitals have a significant impact on improving patient pathways. With new solutions and procedures, medical staff can operate more efficiently and effectively, resulting in better quality of patient care. Innovative approaches to work organization allow better coordination between different medical staff enabling faster and more comprehensive patient care . Organisational change means that not only the physical environment is altered, but also the behavioural operations, structural relationships and roles, and the hospital organisational culture may transform. For example, changing the physical health care environment can affect job satisfaction, stress, intention to leave, and the way staff work together. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval will be not required (primary data will not be gathered in this research). The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The article will be disseminated via appropriate mailing lists and social media, as well as various research platforms.