Okay, You Asked For Stories…

Storytelling is used as a method to expose and analyze three messages in the paper by Browman and colleagues: 1) it is possible to create a negotiating environment by changing the formal decision-making structure; 2) evidence-based healthcare costs more money; and 3) allowing a trial period for an innovation increases the likelihood that it will be adopted.

Abstract

Storytelling and innovative organizational structures are distinct but complementary approaches to tackling the problem of providing evidence-based healthcare in hospitals. Both appear to have a great deal of merit. In this paper I have used storytelling as a method to expose and analyze three messages in the paper by Browman and colleagues: 1) it is possible to create a negotiating environment by changing the formal decision-making structure; 2) evidence-based healthcare costs more money; and 3) allowing a trial period for an innovation increases the likelihood that it will be adopted. Two major challenges are, first, to ensure that evidence-based healthcare is valued within both the informal and formal organization; and second, to actively involve the most important stakeholders--patients--at all levels of policy setting in hospitals.