title: Taking the Pulse of a Target Population: Assessing Change Readiness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Implementing change in a health care organization poses structural and cultural challenges.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed a survey derived from an existing organizational change model and distributed it to the target population of an impending change initiative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The respondents (59.2% response rate) indicated that changes in communication protocols were necessary, believed that change would be possible, reported feeling supported during previous change efforts, and tended to think that their feedback had been valued in the past.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey revealed that our target population was ready to change the ways in which it communicates about patient needs and care protocols. To increase the probability of successful implementation of an initiative to improve communication protocols on the unit, we will design our implementation strategy to provide both the process support and the training support that participants perceived to be lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By taking the "pulse" of the target population, change agents can identify more effective implementation strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health (Dr Wackerbarth and Ms McGladrey), and General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine (Dr Fanucchi), University of Kentucky, Lexington.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wackerbarth
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGladrey
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fanucchi
mesh_terms: D006285:Health Planning; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011320:Primary Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires