From Accelerator to Exchange: Scaling Clinician Innovation Training Beyond the Academic Health Science Centre

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Innovation Management
• Entrepreneurship Training

Background:

• Previous Hexcite program evaluation highlighted the need to study clinician innovation engagement determinants.
• The Chesapeake Digital Health Exchange (CDHX) was established as a federally funded digital health innovation hub.
• The study examines the sustainability of the CDHX after its federal funding concluded.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes and sustainability of the Chesapeake Digital Health Exchange (CDHX) initiative.
• To identify factors influencing sustained clinician engagement in innovation beyond traditional evaluation metrics.
• To explore the challenges in sustaining innovation hubs and the role of professional identity in entrepreneurship.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of program data from the Chesapeake Digital Health Exchange (CDHX) between 2019-2022.
• Tracking of startup performance, mentoring sessions, venture capital, and job creation.
• Qualitative assessment of sustainability mechanisms and their operationalization.

Main Results:

• The CDHX supported 47 startups, facilitated 445 mentoring sessions, and contributed to over $137 million in venture capital and 891 jobs.
• None of the five proposed sustainability mechanisms were implemented by the grant's closeout.
• Conventional evaluation frameworks inadequately capture relational knowledge and professional identity crucial for sustained innovation.

Conclusions:

• The CDHX demonstrated significant economic impact but failed to establish operational sustainability.
• Existing program evaluation models are insufficient for assessing the long-term success of health innovation initiatives.
• Further theoretical work is needed to understand how health professionals build authority across clinical, technical, and entrepreneurial domains.