1369 Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 74 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6339-8.ch074 Low Cost and Human- Centered Innovations in Healthcare Services: A Case of Excellence in Italy ABSTRACT This chapter focuses on a change efort for introduction of an e-governance innovation in the operating room management of a medium-sized Italian hospital, which led to higher levels of efciency and efectiveness at once. The innovative project has made all the stages of the surgical process transparent, highlighting where there is an opportunity to improve overall performance via the introduction of organizational and process innovations. New techniques implemented and the specifc factors that led to the hospital’s success in achieving improved outcomes at lower costs are discussed. The chapter concludes by highlighting that low cost and human-centricity are amongst the key characteristics of success of this innovation. 1. INTRODUCTION Implementing innovation is difficult in almost any organization, but it is especially so in those where the change effort must overcome the resis- tance of professionals. Professionals often have deeply entrenched values that are not necessarily consistent with – and often are in direct opposi- tion to – the goals of the organization’s senior management team. Nowhere is this dilemma more evident than in the healthcare sector, where there is consider- able body of evidence to suggest that physicians (and, to a lesser extent, nurses) have an agenda that often is in total contrast to that of non-clinical managers (Young & Saltman, 1985; Kitchener, 1999; Young, 2008). We examined a change effort for introduc- tion of e-governance innovation in the operating rooms of a medium-sized hospital. This hospital Emanuele Padovani University of Bologna, Italy Rebecca L. Orelli University of Bologna, Italy Vanni Agnoletti Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital Forlì, Italy Matteo Buccioli Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital Forlì, Italy