Sowing the Seeds of Innovation: Ideas for Child and Family Services

In child and family services in Australia and elsewhere there is a range of promising approaches emerging in response to problems such as child abuse and neglect. However, little is known about how and why some innovations spread from one context to another and others do not. This paper draws upon the 'diffusion of innovation' literature to highlight the complex interplay of the innovation, the individual, the organisation and the wider environment on the spread of innovative policies, programs and practice.

[1]  L. Schorr,et al.  Determining "What Works" in Social Programs and Social Policies: Toward a More Inclusive Knowledge Base. , 2003 .

[2]  R. Wollons.  Kindergartens and Cultures: The Global Diffusion of an Idea. , 2000 .

[3]  T. Paulussen,et al.  Determinants of innovation within health care organizations: literature review and Delphi study. , 2004, International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care.

[4]  G. Robert,et al.  Diffusion of innovations in service organizations: systematic review and recommendations. , 2004, The Milbank quarterly.

[5]  Gary L. Kreps,et al.  Forty Years of Diffusion of Innovations: Utility and Value in Public Health , 2004, Journal of health communication.

[6]  C. Wilson,et al.  Guide for Child Welfare Administrators on Evidence Based Practice , 2005 .

[7]  Usable information about what works: Building a broader and deeper knowledge base , 2003 .

[8]  Dorothy Scott.  Embracing what works: Building communities that strengthen families: Keynote address at the Family Strengths Conference University of Newcastle, 23 November, 1999 , 2000, Children Australia.

[9]  E. Rogers.  Diffusion of preventive innovations. , 2002, Addictive behaviors.

[10]  James D. Westphal,et al.  Customization or Conformity? An Institutional and Network Perspective on the Content and Consequences of TQM Adoption , 1997 .

[11]  Bradford L. Yates.  Applying Diffusion Theory: Adoption of Media Literacy Programs in Schools , 2004 .

[12]  N. Glasgow,et al.  Emergent themes in the sustainability of primary health care innovation , 2005, The Medical journal of Australia.

[13]  E. Ferlie,et al.  The Nonspread of Innovations: the Mediating Role of Professionals , 2005 .

[14]  G. Bhatta.  Revisiting the Issue of Risks in Innovation in the Public Sector , 2003 .

[15]  A. Haines,et al.  Implementing findings of research , 1994, BMJ.

[16]  Michel Wensing,et al.  What drives change? Barriers to and incentives for achieving evidence‐based practice , 2004, The Medical journal of Australia.

[17]  Hugh M. O'Neill,et al.  Patterns in the Diffusion of Strategies Across Organizations: Insights from the Innovation Diffusion Literature , 1998 .

[18]  Sandra Nutley,et al.  Making a reality of evidence-based practice , 2000 .

[19]  Karen A. Blase,et al.  Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the , 2005 .

[20]  J. Cockburn.  Adoption of evidence into practice: can change be sustainable? , 2004, The Medical journal of Australia.

[21]  L. Dusenbury,et al.  Pursuing the Course from Research to Practice , 2004, Prevention Science.

[22]  D. Berwick.  Disseminating innovations in health care. , 2003, JAMA.

[23]  A. Zwi,et al.  Pathways to “Evidence-Informed” Policy and Practice: A Framework for Action , 2005, PLoS medicine.

[24]  D. Hallfors,et al.  Will the 'principles of effectiveness' improve prevention practice? Early findings from a diffusion study. , 2002, Health education research.

[25]  S. Osganian,et al.  Institutionalization of a School Health Promotion Program: Background and Rationale of the Catch-on Study , 2003, Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education.

[26]  Jan Barnsley,et al.  A framework for the dissemination and utilization of research for health-care policy and practice. , 2002, The online journal of knowledge synthesis for nursing.

[27]  R. Sanson-Fisher.  Diffusion of innovation theory for clinical change , 2004, The Medical journal of Australia.

[28]  Jean Hartley,et al.  Innovation in Governance and Public Services: Past and Present , 2005 .

[29]  Jeffrey L. Bradach.  Going to scale : The Challenge of replicating social programs , 2003 .

[30]  Melissa Sweet,et al.  Translating evidence into practice. , 2004, The Medical journal of Australia.

[31]  Robert Mittman,et al.  Diffusion of Innovation in Health Care , 2002 .

[32]  Klaus Musmann,et al.  Diffusion of Innovations: A Select Bibliography , 1989 .

[33]  A. Newmark.  AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO POLICY TRANSER AND DIFFUSION , 2005 .

[34]  Richard Rose,et al.  What is Lesson-Drawing? , 1991, Journal of Public Policy.

[35]  Confusion, Diffusion, and Innovation. , 1977 .

[36]  Trisha Greenhalgh,et al.  Diffusion of innovations in health service organisations , 2005 .