Global Perspectives on Innovations in Emergency Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Innovation
• Pandemic Response

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic spurred rapid innovation in emergency medicine.
• The Emergency Medicine Education and Research by Global Experts (EMERGE) network previously surveyed pandemic emergency responses.
• There was a need to develop a model for assessing and developing emergency innovations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop the first theoretical model for assessing and developing emergency innovations.
• To build upon previous findings regarding innovative measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase, explanatory sequential mixed methods study.
• Phase 1: Secondary analysis of the EMERGE survey data.
• Phase 2: Follow-up interviews with 15 purposively sampled respondents from 12 countries, analyzed thematically.

Main Results:

• Innovation is a nonlinear process involving development, implementation, refinement, and spread.
• Innovation drivers included departmental needs and successful spread from other sites.
• Development was localized and influenced by institutional/regional factors; stakeholder buy-in and barrier management were crucial for implementation.
• Innovations evolved and spread through a largely unidirectional information flow.

Conclusions:

• Proposes the first model for emergency innovation processes, identifying areas for improvement.
• Prioritizing departmental needs and addressing barriers can streamline innovation development and implementation.
• The unidirectional information flow highlights a need for improved information systems for innovation dissemination.
• Presents a framework for future research and innovation management in emergency settings.