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Are You Ready? How Health Professionals Can Comprehensively Conceptualize Readiness for Change

Journal of General Internal Medicine volume 25, pages 50–55 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

One important factor influencing the successful implementation of system-wide change is initial readiness. Readiness is defined as the degree to which those involved are individually and collectively primed, motivated, and technically capable of executing the change. We present a conceptual framework that highlights three broad areas to be considered if health-care professionals are to comprehensively evaluate readiness that includes psychological factors (i.e., characteristics of those being asked to change), structural factors (i.e., circumstances under which the change is occurring) as well as the level of analysis (i.e., individual and organizational levels). We also describe more specific dimensions within each of these broad categories that have both empirical and theoretical support, presenting several valid and reliable survey instruments that measure key dimensions of readiness quantitatively.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon a workshop led during the 2008 National Meeting of the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) of the Health Services R&D Service, Department of Veterans Affairs.

The views expressed here are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents, and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflicts that directly or indirectly, purposefully or inadvertently affect the conduct, outcome, or reporting of any information included in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systems and Engineering Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT/ENV, 2950 Hobson Way, Wright Patterson, OH, 45433-7765, USA

    Daniel T. Holt PhD

  2. Ischemic Heart Disease QUERI, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA

    Christian D. Helfrich MPH, PhD

  3. Polytrauma and Blast-Related Injuries-QUERI, VA Minneapolis Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Carmen G. Hall RN, PhD

  4. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Bryan J. Weiner PhD

Authors
  1. Daniel T. Holt PhD
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  2. Christian D. Helfrich MPH, PhD
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  3. Carmen G. Hall RN, PhD
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  4. Bryan J. Weiner PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel T. Holt PhD.

Additional information

This material is based upon a workshop led during the 2008 National Meeting of the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) of the Health Services R&D Service, Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Holt, D.T., Helfrich, C.D., Hall, C.G. et al. Are You Ready? How Health Professionals Can Comprehensively Conceptualize Readiness for Change. J GEN INTERN MED 25 (Suppl 1), 50–55 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1112-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1112-8

KEY WORDS

  • organizational change
  • change readiness
  • measuring readiness for change
  • implementation