Diffusion of Excellence: Assessing a System to Find, Replicate, and Distribute Promising Creative Ideas throughout the Veterans Health Administration

Abstract

The Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) program of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers a framework for locating, replicating, and disseminating promising ideas throughout the biggest integrated healthcare system in the US. DoE uses a Shark Tank-style competition to find innovations that have been effectively applied in the VHA. In order to duplicate promising approaches, VHA facility and regional directors bid resources. Over the course of a year, winning facilities and regions get outside facilitation to help with replication and implementation. Following that, DoE employees assist in the spread of effective practices throughout the country's VHA. Techniques: We provide the findings of a continuous, long-term, mixed-methods implementation evaluation of DoE, structured around the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework. Qualities of VHA facilities, focus groups with Shark Tank bidders, surveys of DoE program participants, semi-structured interviews with national VHA program office leaders, VHA healthcare system/facility executives, practice developers, implementation teams, and facilitators, Shark Tank application and bid details, and tracking practice adoptions through a Diffusion Marketplace are some of the data sources. In conclusion: As part of a learning health system dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality treatment, DoE has created a sustainable procedure for identifying, replicating, and disseminating good practices.