In 2020, the article “Assessing the scalability of innovations in primary care: a cross-sectional study” was published. Several members of our unit are part of the team that wrote it.
- Ali Ben Charif
- Hervé Tchala Vignon Zomahoun José Massougbodji
- Lobna Khadhraoui
- Maxine Dumas Pilon
- Elise Boulanger
- Amédé Gogovor
- Marie-Josée Campbell
- Marie-Ève Poitras
- France Légaré
Ben Charif A, Zomahoun HTV, Massougbodji J, Khadhraoui L, Pilon MD, Boulanger E, Gogovor A, Campbell MJ, Poitras MÈ, Légaré F. Assessing the scalability of innovations in primary care: a cross-sectional study. CMAJ Open. 2020 Oct 3;8(4):E613-E618. doi: 10.9778/cmajo.20200030. PMID: 33011682; PMCID: PMC7567510.
Contexte
In Canada, health funding priorities emphasize scaling evidence-based innovations in primary care. However, not all teams are necessarily prepared for this step. This study explores how innovators in primary care assess the scalability potential of their innovations in Quebec.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 33 teams selected for the Family Medicine Innovations Symposium in Quebec. A two-part online questionnaire was used: one part on the characteristics of the innovation, and another assessing scalability using a tool with 16 criteria grouped into five dimensions (theory, impact, coverage, setting, cost). A descriptive analysis was performed using frequencies and percentages.
Results
Of the 33 teams, 24 participated (72.7%), each evaluating one innovation. The types of innovations were mainly related to management (15), prevention (8), and therapeutics (1). Management innovations primarily focused on patient navigation (9/15). The most frequently assessed criteria were related to theory and impact (79.2%), followed by cost (77.1%), setting (59.7%), and coverage (54.2%). Sixteen innovations were evaluated against at least 10 criteria, including 10 management, 5 prevention, and 1 therapeutic innovation. Implementation fidelity was the least assessed criterion (6/24).
Conclusion
The scalability of primary care innovations varies by type. Management innovations, being more numerous and assessed against more criteria, appear better prepared for scaling in the Canadian context.