Lisa M. Puchalski Ritchie
1,2,3*, Sharon E. Straus
1,21 Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
2 Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michaels Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
3 Department of Emergency Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
Abstract
This commentary provides an overview of the organizational readiness for change (ORC) literature over the last
decade, with respect to prevailing definitions, theories, and tools to guide assessment of ORC in preparation
for implementation. The development of the OR4KT by Gagnon et al is an important contribution to this
body of work. This commentary highlights the strengths of the OR4KT including development based on two
systematic reviews conducted by the authors to synthesize OR theory and measurement tools, and applicability
to a wider range of high-income country healthcare settings through inclusion of input from a diverse group
of international experts and transcultural adaptation of the tool, in the context of the literature to date.
Limitations and future directions for further development of the tool are also discussed and include application
of quantitative psychometric approaches and evaluation of the tool in a broader range of healthcare settings.