title: What is the degree of innovation routinely implemented in Dutch radiotherapy centres? A multicentre cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the implementation of innovation activities in Dutch radiotherapy (RT) centres in a broad sense (product, technological, market and organizational innovations).
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 Dutch RT centres. A list of innovations implemented from 2011 to 2013 was drawn up for each centre using semi-structured interviews. These innovations were classified into innovation categories according to previously defined innovation indicators. Where applicable, each innovation was rated by each centre on the effort required to implement it and on its expected effects, to get an impression of how far reaching and radical the innovations were and to be able to compare the number of innovations between centres.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participating RT centres in the Netherlands implemented 12 innovations per year on average (range 5-25); this number was not significantly different for academic (n = 13) or non-academic centres (n = 10). Several centres were dealing with the same innovations at the same time. The average required effort and expected output did not differ significantly between product, technological and organizational innovation or between academic and non-academic centres.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number of innovations observed per centre varied across a large range, with a large overlap in terms of the type of innovations that were implemented. Registering innovations using the innovation indicators applied in our study would make it possible to improve collaboration between centres, e.g. with common training modules, to avoid duplication of work. Advances in knowledge: This study is the first of its kind investigating innovation implementation in RT in a broad sense.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|2 CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosmans
authors.affiliation: 4 Executive Board, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frits
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Merode
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verhaegen
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Ruysscher
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rachelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swart
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kengen
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, MAASTRO clinic, Maastricht, Netherlands.|3 GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University, Medical Centre+, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambin
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009426:Netherlands; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000639:trends*