Impact of
Implementing Evidence Based Practice on
Organizational Performance
Principal Investigator: Peter S. Hovmand, PhD
David F. Gillespie, PhD
Funder: National Science Foundation
Timeframe: 08/07 – 07/10 .
Affiliation:
Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)
Project Staff:
Peter Hovmand, PhD, PI, (314) 935-7968, phovmand@wustl.edu
David F. Gillespie, PhD, PI, (314) 935-6674 davidg@wustl.edu
Peter Dore, MA, Director of Data Management (314) 935-6464,
Participating Organizations:
40 nonprofit organizations implementing a mental health EBP, Missouri
Project Contact:: Peter Hovmand, PhD, (314) 935-7968, phovmand@wustl.edu
Project Update as of 7/20/07.
Stage: Planning Initial
Implementation
Description:
Innovations that promise to improve performance hold a special appeal to organizations. However, implementing innovations can set in motion changes that threaten the sustainability of the organization. While many studies have looked at the difficulties of getting new ideas implemented, few studies have considered how successful implementation of innovation might affect organizational performance and survival. Our research addresses this gap.
The primary purpose of this project is to understand how innovation implementation impacts organizational performance. The setting is nonprofit organizations providing mental health services. These organizations play a major role in helping people recover from mental illness in communities across the United States. These organizations also face increasing pressures to implement innovations such as evidence-based practice through statewide mental health transformation efforts.
Drawing on existing theories and mathematical models, we study the changes in 40 nonprofit organizations implementing evidence-based practice as an innovation in mental health services. We use system dynamics modeling as the method for understanding change. Data include interviews with managers overseeing the implementation process, organizational surveys with managers and clinicians, group model building sessions, and agency documents. The study should yield a deeper understanding of the dynamics associated with innovation implementation, and help regional and state policymakers design more sustainable policies for implementing innovations that can improve public mental health.