Feasibility of the Maastricht Innovation Readiness Approach: a self-assessment of innovation readiness in long-term care organizations for older adults

BackgroundInnovation in long-term care for older adults is essential to manage challenges such as a growing demand and workforce shortages. Organizations with higher innovation readiness are more likely to adopt and sustain innovations effectively. However, an approach indicating the innovation readiness of long-term care organizations for older adults is lacking. To address this, the Maastricht Innovation Readiness Approach (MIRA) was developed to (1) increase understanding about innovation readiness, (2) facilitate the organization's self-assessment of innovation readiness, and (3) inspire the organizational conversation on how to become better at innovating.ObjectiveThe aim of this work was to examine the feasibility of MIRA and explore whether it could be successfully applied in long-term care practice.MethodsMIRA consists of a questionnaire and a consensus meeting. To evaluate the MIRA approach, a mixed-method cross-sectional feasibility study was conducted in 10 Dutch long-term care organizations. The study evaluated scores on the MIRA Questionnaire, assessed its intrarater reliability, and examined the feasibility of both the MIRA Questionnaire and the MIRA Consensus meeting. Professionals (involved in innovation) were asked to (1) complete the MIRA Questionnaire and additional closed-ended questions about its feasibility twice online (1-month interval), (2) participate in the Consensus meeting and verbally answer open questions, and (3) complete a questionnaire directly following the consensus meeting on its feasibility.ResultsIn total, 173 participants completed the MIRA Questionnaire at t1 (#128 at t2); 127 participants attended the MIRA Consensus meeting (t1). The mean perceived innovation readiness score was 6.6 (scale 1–10). Intrarater reliability of the MIRA Questionnaire was good (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.75). Participants evaluated MIRA as acceptable, suitable, and valuable: 88% indicated that MIRA provided insight into their organization's innovation readiness, and 84% would recommend it to other organizations. Interestingly, participants suggested annual use of MIRA.ConclusionMIRA is a feasible approach to assess innovation readiness in long-term care. It enhances internal awareness, supports group reflection across roles and disciplines, and may support structured progress in innovation readiness. However, it remains unclear whether conducting MIRA improves innovation readiness. Longitudinal studies are needed to follow organizations as they implement steps to improve innovation readiness and to explore how these contribute to succesful innovation outcomes.