Theories on Implementation of Change in Healthcare

Summary This chapter presents a number of current, popular theories from different disciplines in four categories: theories that focus on individual factors, theories about social influence, theories about the influence of organizational factors, and theories about the influence of economic factors on changing healthcare. The theories are divided into impact theories and process theories. The chapter focuses primarily on impact theories which suggest concrete factors that may influence change processes. Many theories can contribute to describing and explaining effective implementation of changes in patient care. For practical purposes, an integrated model is needed that offers direct support for designing and planning implementation activities in normal patient care. Two practical and commonplace examples are used to illustrate the theories. The first example is hand hygiene. The second example concerns the management of patients with diabetes mellitus.