title: Applying a structured innovation process to interventional radiology: a single-center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the feasibility and efficacy of applying an established innovation process to an active academic interventional radiology (IR) practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Stanford Biodesign Medical Technology Innovation Process was used as the innovation template. Over a 4-month period, seven IR faculty and four IR fellow physicians recorded observations. These observations were converted into need statements. One particular need relating to gastrostomy tubes was diligently screened and was the subject of a single formal brainstorming session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Investigators collected 82 observations, 34 by faculty and 48 by fellows. The categories that generated the most observations were enteral feeding (n = 9, 11%), biopsy (n = 8, 10%), chest tubes (n = 6, 7%), chemoembolization and radioembolization (n = 6, 7%), and biliary interventions (n = 5, 6%). The output from the screening on the gastrostomy tube need was a specification sheet that served as a guidance document for the subsequent brainstorming session. The brainstorming session produced 10 concepts under three separate categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This formalized innovation process generated numerous observations and ultimately 10 concepts to potentially to solve a significant clinical need, suggesting that a structured process can help guide an IR practice interested in medical innovation.
authors.affiliation: Interventional Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 East 68th Street, P-514, New York, NY 10065, USA. aks9010@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Akhilesh K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sista
authors.forename: Gloria L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hovsepian
authors.forename: Daniel Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Sze
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Nishita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kothary
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Louie
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Riaz
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhanani
authors.forename: Todd J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brinton
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Krummel
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makower
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Yock
authors.forename: Lawrence V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D015642:Radiology, Interventional / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*