Insights into successful change management: empirically supported techniques for improving medical practice patterns.

This article identifies empirically supported techniques for improving medical practice patterns by relying on both The Delta Group's professional change management experience and a thorough review of the literature relating to the essential characteristics of successful change management programs in health care. The purpose of this article is to provide health care professionals with an overview of the various change management techniques that have been widely regarded as having the greatest impact on the clinical and financial success of improvement programs before health care professionals initiate change management activities within their own organization.