title: Two different strategies to facilitate involvement in healthcare improvements: a Swedish county council initiative.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  From a management point of view, there are many different approaches from which to choose to engage staff members in initiatives to improve performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study evaluated how two different types of improvement strategies facilitate and encourage involvement of different professional groups in health-care organizations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Empirical data of two different types of strategies were collected within an improvement project in a County Council in Sweden. The data analysis was carried out through classifying the participants' profession, position, gender, and the organizational administration of which they were a part, in relation to their participation.
  
  
  METHODS
  An improvement project in a County Council in Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Designed Improvement Processes consisted of n=105 teams and Intrapreneurship Projects of n=202 projects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two different types of improvement strategies, Designed Improvement Processes and Intrapreneurship Projects.
  
  
  METHODS
  How two different types of improvement strategies facilitate and encourage involvement of different professional groups in healthcare organizations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nurses were the largest group participating in both improvement initiatives. Physicians were also well represented, although they seemed to prefer the less structured Intrapreneurship Projects approach. Assistant nurses, being the second largest staff group, were poorly represented in both initiatives. This indicates that the benefits and support for one group may push another group aside.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Managers need to give prerequisites and incentives for staff who do not participate in improvements to do so. Comparisons of different types of improvement initiatives are an underused research strategy that yields interesting and thoughtful results.
authors.affiliation: The Jönköping Academy for Improvements of Health and Welfare, School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Sweden (Dr Andersson).
authors.forename: Ann-Christine
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Care Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University and Department of Intensive Care and Perioperative Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden (Professor Idvall).
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Idvall
authors.affiliation: Nyckeln Competence Centre for Pedagogy in Health Care, Kalmar County Council, and Red Cross University College, Stockholm, Sweden (Dr Perseius).
authors.forename: Kent-Inge
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Perseius
authors.affiliation: Division of Quality Technology and Management and HELIX Vinn Excellence Centre, Linköping University, Sweden (Professor Elg).
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elg
keywords: Healthcare settings; nursing staff professions; participation; quality improvement; quality management