Creating "innovator's DNA" in health care education

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Organizational Behavior
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Significant deficits exist in current health care education models.
• Existing faculty development programs often lack training in crucial innovation and change management skills.
• Addressing learner-centeredness and integrating learning science insights requires new faculty competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effectiveness of a continuing professional development (CPD) program in cultivating "innovator's skills" among health care educators.
• To assess if these developed skills can be taught and applied to facilitate organizational change in health care settings.
• To propose the "innovator's DNA" framework as a model for enhancing CPD programs in health professions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of alumni from the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI) program (1995-2010).
• Analysis of the HMI curriculum through the lens of Dyer et al.'s "innovator's DNA" framework (associating, questioning, observing, networking, experimenting).
• Evaluation of participants' capacity to develop customized educational models and implement institutional changes.

Main Results:

• The Harvard Macy Institute program demonstrated success in teaching innovator skills to health care educators.
• Alumni data suggests that these skills are teachable and applicable in real-world health care environments.
• The "innovator's DNA" framework provides a viable conceptual model for structuring CPD initiatives.

Conclusions:

• Innovator skills, encompassing the "innovator's DNA," are essential for addressing critical issues in health care education.
• CPD programs can be designed to effectively develop these skills, empowering educators to lead change.
• The "innovator's DNA" model offers a valuable structure for future CPD program development in health care.