Abstract
Purpose: Healthcare is a rapidly evolving field that demands allied health professionals who are both innovative and grounded in evidence-based practice. This study addresses the growing need to prepare allied health professionals to lead and drive innovation by conceptualising the dimensions of an evidence-based innovation mindset, evaluating the extent to which a targeted educational intervention cultivates this mindset among allied health students, and outlining the pedagogical implications.
Design/methodology/approach: Using evaluation research, 52 quantitative survey responses were collected before and after the intervention, and 21 interviews were conducted after the intervention. Data were analysed using inferential statistics and reflexive thematic analysis and synthesised to explore students’ perceived changes in their evidence-based innovation mindset.
Findings: Survey results revealed significant differences for four dimensions of the evidence-basedinnovation mindset, specifically increases in individual entrepreneurial orientation, innovation selfefficacy, persistence, and research competence. The increase in learning orientation was not statistically significant. The latent themes revealed how participants gradually developed confidence as innovators and researchers through hands-on experience. They valued authentic innovation underpinned by persistence and flexible thinking, recognised the reciprocal relationship between research and innovation, and reported feeling capable of making real-world impacts in their future
careers using innovation and research skills.
Originality/value: The study conceptualises an evidence-based innovation mindset for the allied health professions. It demonstrates the value of cultivating this mindset through an experiential problem-based intervention, highlighting the pedagogical need to renew healthcare curricula by incorporating evidence-based innovation.