Now is a transformative period in health care. Reform is increasing pressure on health care organizations to improve quality while reducing costs. At the same time, inefficiencies in existing systems cause problems for providers and patients alike. For hospitals, office practices, and health systems to adapt, they need to realize that the old solutions no longer suffice. Developing and testing new and creative ideas is critical to thriving in this new environment.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has a long history of formulating creative solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the health care system. Based on these years of experience, IHI has created a method for rapidly identifying innovative ideas, assessing their potential, and turning them into processes and systems that work in the real world. Using this innovation method, IHI hasworked with dedicated partners to devise now familiar tools and concepts that have been critical to improved health care quality. Some examples developed through this process are “bundles” that make care more reliable and the IHI Triple Aim.
IHI is now offering an opportunity to learn firsthand our approach to innovation, through a new program called The Innovation College. Participants will work closely with IHI’s research and development faculty and a small group of peers during a two-day meeting – followed by six months of conference calls and email contact – to learn how to develop and execute the best new ideas and designs. At the end of this program, participants will be able to use these innovation approaches in their own organizations to generate novel solutions to current and future challenges.
