The study reported here examines what health care leaders do to implement the routine integration of information into clinical practice decision making. Clinical leaders of a major Australian tertiary teaching hospital were interviewed. The study found that there is wide variation in the extent to which information is routinely used to inform practice. Those leaders who successfully integrated information used some common strategies. The ownership of information may be the single most powerful factor in clinical leaders' ability to encourage its use. A lack of trust, inappropriate systems and a fear of unfavourable consequences were identified as issues. The findings have implications for policy makers, hospital administrators and clinical leaders and question the effectiveness of centralised approaches to driving clinical change.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Health Sciences
Research Group:	Health services and systems
Research Field:	Health services and systems not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Evaluation of health and support services
Objective Field:	Evaluation of health and support services not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Stevens, SC (Dr Stella Stevens)
ID Code:	58376
Year Published:	2004
Deposited By:	Medicine
Deposited On:	2009-09-30
Last Modified:	2009-09-30
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